Prabir Purkayastha moves Delhi court, seeks seized electronic devices back

In the midst of the ongoing NewsClick row founder and editorinchief Prabir Purkayastha has moved an application in the trial court seeking the release of his electronic devices seized by Delhi Police HR head Amit Chakravarty has also moved a bail petitionNotably both were arrested recently by Delhi Police in a case filed under the antiterror law UAPA following allegations that News Portal NewsClick received huge money for proChina propagandaThe matter was listed before the Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeep Kaur on Friday where Delhi Police sought times to file its reply on both petitions The court fixed October 31 for a hearing on Prabir Purkayasthas petition and November 4 for a hearing on the bail petition moved by Amit ChakravartyOn October 25 the trial court had allowed the Delhi Police application which sought 9 days of further custodial remand of Prabir and Amit ChakravartyPrabir and Amit Chakravarty on Wednesday were produced after the end of their Judicial custody period They were earlier granted 10 days and 5 days of Judicial custody by the same courtAccording to the Delhi Police plea their custodial interrogation required them to confront them with some protected witnesses and also some devices were examined and the data extractedEarlier Advocate Arshdeep Singh Khurana argued on behalf of Prabir Purkayastha that I was questioned and Ive answered all their queries In the matter of EoW Delhi Police and ED I was protected by the Delhi High Court in 2021 which orders are continuing even till today He also submitted that the allegations made in FIR are absolutely absurdThere is no allegation that I used bomb dynamite or any other explosive substance There is no allegation that I used any criminal force or that I caused the death of any public functionary How can by reporting by acting or by having a profession as a journalist can I commit a terrorist act If I through article raised question over Central Government Covid policy is this the act of terrorism he submittedThe lawyer further submitted that my client is a journalist with repute and he is a renowned person for his independent voiceBut they Agency filed FIR under stringent sections of UAPA The agencys allegation is that Im associated with Gautam Navlakha who is facing UAPA charges And since he is facing UAPA charges you also face UAPA charges Mere association with someone has become a crime He is a fellow journalist I have known him since 1991 Now you are suddenly targeting me because of this association he saidAdvocate Rohit Sharma appeared for Amit Chakravarty HR Head submitted that Chakravarty is neither a journalist nor an editor and did not write any articleI am a poor person having responsibility for my family I am a handicap man Since 2021 I have been summoned by agencies on various occasions and a lot of my information about bank accounts emails everything has been seized Ive never been arrested Im not responsible in any way for the content that is published on the website and I perform administrative tasks but I dont know I have been suddenly arrested in the case Advocate Sharma submittedThe Delhi Polices Special Cell in its FIR against news web portal NewsClicks founder and EditorinChief Prabir Purkayastha stated that Peoples Dispatch Portal owned and maintained by PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd has been used for intentionally peddling false narratives through paid news in lieu of crores of rupees of illegally routed foreign funds as part of the conspiracyDelhi Police FIR further stated that foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity integrity security of IndiaForeign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity integrity and security of India stated in FIRThis 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