Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: With the Delhi Police raiding homes of some activist-turned-journalists linked with an allegedly Chinese-funded news outlet, and other locations on Tuesday, the focus is back on a China-based American millionaire, Neville Roy Singham, who is accused of managing anti-Indian activities on diverse fronts, including the media.
The Delhi Police Special Cell has registered a fresh case against the said portal, NewsClick, under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, the reports said.
The police raided at least 35 locations, including the houses of seven journalists and places associated with the news portal NewsClick, which was already under the scanner of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) amid allegations it received funds illegally from China and provided no evidence to support its innocence.
During the raids, police seized devices, including laptops and mobile phones, belonging to the journalists, the media reported.
Raids were also conducted in Mumbai, including activist Teesta Setalvad’s house, and comedian, Sanjay Rajaura, was taken for questioning
Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said, “The probe agencies are independent and they are doing their jobs by following rules.” “I don’t need to justify the raids. If someone has done something wrong, the probe agencies do their job. It’s nowhere written that probe agencies can’t take action if money has come to you from the wrong sources or something objectionable has been done,” he added while responding to a question over the raids against NewsClick by reporters in Bhubaneswar.
The Press Club of India, in a statement, expressed concern over the raids, stating that they “stand in solidarity with the journalists and demand the government to come out with details.”
In August, the New York Times published an investigative report stating that NewsClick is among organizations funded by a network linked to the controversial businessman Neville Roy Singham for pushing Chinese propaganda.
“The authorities in India raided a news organization tied to Mr. Singham during a crackdown on the press, accusing it of having ties to the Chinese government but offering no proof… In New Delhi, corporate filings show, Mr. Singham’s network financed a news site, NewsClick, that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points,” the NYT reported.
This claim against the portal was first made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2021 when it searched NewsClick’s premises as part of a probe into alleged foreign remittances.
Responding to the report, NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha said, “These are not new allegations. They have been made in the past. We will respond to them in the appropriate forum, i.e. the court, as the matter is sub judice.”
The Income Tax Department had also raided NewsClick in 2021.
According to Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Neville Roy Singham has direct contact with the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China.
Singham, the founder of ThoughtWorks, an IT consulting company, is a known Communist sympathizer and a millionaire who is accused of funding Chinese propaganda not only in India but also in other countries. NewsClick is said to be part of his global network that receives funding from him. The fresh raids put the Indian news portal in the spotlight again, as it is already under investigation for alleged money laundering and foreign funding violations.
According to the NYT, Neville Roy Singham is the son of Archibald Wickeramaraja Singham, a Sri Lankan political scientist and historian who was a professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Singham, now based in Shanghai, China, has a financial network supporting Chinese propaganda that spans the globe. He also allegedly funded NewsClick which sprinkled its coverage with Chinese propaganda.
The NYT also stated that Neville Roy Singham is linked to several American charities and non-profit groups that are working to promote his agenda. These groups are funded through American non-profits that have received at least USD 275 million in donations.