Finance
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation into the alleged violations in foreign funding by NewsClick website, sources have said.
Searches at the homes of journalists linked with NewsClick were carried at 20-odd locations across Delhi-NCR and Mumbai on October 4, days after a New York Times investigation alleged that the news portal had received funding from a network pushing Chinese propaganda.
Prabir Purkayastha, the founder of NewsClick, was arrested under anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after the raids.
Amit Chakravarty, the HR head of the news portal, had also been arrested.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate had registered a case against the news portal and investigated its funding. The central agency had also attached some assets linked to the news portal.
The case, sources said, relates to alleged violations in foreign funding and its use. The fresh FIR is based on information shared by the Enforcement Directorate.
The ED had earlier alleged that the news portal received a sum of nearly ₹ 38 crore from entities linked to China, and how this amount was used is under the scanner.
In August, a New York Times investigation had alleged that NewsClick is among organisations that were funded by a network linked to US millionaire Neville Roy Singham that pushes Chinese propaganda.
