Lawfare – Journalists

The Delhi high court Thursday extended till December 17 the interim protection from arrest granted to Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha in foreign funding case and asked Delhi Police why it needed his custodial interrogation when the RBI has given a prima facie finding in his favour.

“Prima facie, there is no delay etc (as per RBI). In that case, why do you need his custodial interrogation?” asked Justice Yogesh Khanna while hearing Purkayastha’s anticipatory bail application. The investigating officer, who was present before the court through video conferencing, responded that he was still verifying other transactions and the investigation was still ongoing.

The allegations in the FIR, registered by the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police, are that the company, PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd, received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of Rs 9.59 crore from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC USA during the financial year 2018-19, in violation of the law. The court also extended the interim protection granted to Newsclick director Pranjal Pandey in the FIR.