NewsClick row: Delhi court allows Purkayastha's plea for supply of FIR

A Delhi court on Thursday allowed the applications of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources head Amit Chakravarty arrested in a case lodged under antiterror law UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread proChina propaganda seeking a copy of the FIRAdditional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur directed the city police to provide the duo with a copy of the FIR citing a 2016 order from the Supreme Court and a 2010 order from the Delhi High CourtAllowing the applications ASJ Kaur directed the Investigating Officer IO concerned to furnish the certified copy of the FIR as per law to the accusedDuring the proceedings on Thursday Chakravartys advocate argued that though the offences alleged against his client under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act UAPA were serious there were no statutory grounds for the prosecution to deny him a copy of the FIRPurkayasthas counsel Advocate Arshdeep Singh Khurana claimed it was the accuseds right to get a copy of the FIRSpecial Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava vehemently opposed the applications saying the case was sensitive and the investigation was still at an initial stage He cited a Supreme Court judgment to say in case of an accused not being provided a copy of FIR because of its sensitive nature the accused has to first approach the police commissioner who would then form a committee within eight weeks to consider the request The SPP said the accused must follow the stepbystep procedure prescribed by the apex courtThe application filed by the accused was premature and they cannot directly jump before the court Shrivastava added We have already provided the grounds for arrest and the reasons for further remand We have already complied with the provisions he saidCiting the remand application the SPP said the accused undermined the unity and territorial integrity of the country besides engaging in a discussion regarding a map of India without Kashmir and showing Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed area The accused received Rs 115 crore in the guise of foreign funding he saidPurkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Tuesday Police have sealed NewsClicks office in DelhiThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever