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Delhi High Court quashes proceedings against NewsClick

Jun 12, 2026Lawfare

Last Updated on June 12, 2026 by freespeechcollective

The Delhi High Court, in a significant judgement on 29 May 2026, has quashed both the FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing and the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case against NewsClick and its founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha. The court ruled that there was no crime or predicate offence to justify the proceedings.

In August 2020, an FIR had been filed by the EOW, alleging violations of FDI regulations. Subsequently, in September 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lodged a complaint based on the EOW’s FIR. Earlier this year, on February 16, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had imposed a penalty of ₹184 crore on news portal NewsClick and its founder Prabir Purkayastha under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for alleged violations of foreign funding regulations. Of the ₹184 crore, a ₹120 crore penalty was slapped on NewsClick, while Purkayastha was penalised ₹64 crore.

In the judgment delivered on 29 May 2026, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna held that the allegations of FDI violations and fund siphoning were unfounded, and the court observed that “Not only are the present proceedings only mala fide, but also an arbitrary attack and abuse of powers on the free and impartial journalism of the Petitioners.” 

Read the full judgement, made public on 10 June 2026, here.

Lawfare
“Lawfare” is the strategic use of laws and the entire legal system to intimidate, harass and attempt to damage the credibility of journalists and citizens who are vocal or speak out against the establishment. Long pre-trial incarceration, refusal of bail and long-drawn processes make the process of proving innocence extremely arduous. The cases here are tracked under the following sub-categories: Contempt of Court, Defamation, Detention (keeping in temporary custody), Summons/Notices, General Lawfare (which includes criminal and civil cases, lodged with the intention of harassment, such as laws related to money laundering, tax evasion etc). “National security” as a separate sub-category includes counter terror laws such as UAPA, public security laws such as PSA, as well as laws related to espionage, official secrets etc. This section covers the registering of cases. Check “Arrests” for status updates of arrests.

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