Justice Tushar Rao Gedela of Delhi High Court on Monday reserved his order on pleas from NewsClick editor-and-chief Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakraborty against their arrest and police remand. Both were arrested on terrorism charges last week. Both were arrested on terrorism charges last week.

Arguing for Purkayastha, senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the court his client had not been given the grounds for his arrest and was not allowed a lawyer of his choice when he was sent to a week’s police remand on October 4.

Last week, scores of people associated with the news site NewsClick were raided
and questioned by the Delhi Police Special Cell anti-terror unit. Phones, laptops and private documents were seized for an investigation into whether the website received illegal funds from Shanghai-based US investor Neville Roy Singham, described as an “active member” of the Communist Party of China, to “disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.”

The website has denied the charges. In a related case in 2021, the RBI gave a clean chit to NewsClick for its receipt of funds.

Sibal said: “Not a penny has come from China. But today we are on the issue of whether grounds of arrest were furnished or not.” He also alleged overwriting in the remand records.

Representing the police, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the remand was ending on Tuesday, and the prosecution could apply for fresh remand which the court could decide on.

PTI quoted Mehta saying: “We intimated him the grounds of arrest. It is not disputed. He was informed about grounds of arrest and produced before the special court within stipulated time.”

The news agency added that Chakraborty’s counsel told the court that he suffered from polio and his arrest was not required as he was neither a journalist nor an editor responsible for the content on the portal.

Both have sought quashing of the FIR. They were given a copy of the FIR on the orders of a Delhi court on October 5.

With inputs from agencies