Delhi High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To NewsClick Founder Prabir Purkayastha In ED, EOW Cases Alleging Foreign Funding

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 23) granted anticipatory bail to Prabir Purkayastha, editor-in-chief and founder of news portal NewsClick, in Enforcement Directorate's money laundering case as well as Delhi Police's EOW FIR concerning allegations of foreign funding.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna pronounced the verdict and disposed of the pleas filed by Purkayastha in 2021.

The Court also granted anticipatory bail to Newsclick Director Pranjal Pandey in the EOW FIR.

A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.

Prabir Purkayastha was granted interim protection from arrest (no coercive action) in the matter in June 2021. The interim orders were extended from time to time.

ED had raided the premises of NewsClick and residences of its editors in February 2021 in connection with money laundering case and had conducted search and seizure.

The allegation against the company PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd is that it had allegedly received foreign direct investment by overvaluing the share to avoid the cap of FDI requirement.

Taking cognizance of the EOW FIR, Enforcement Directorate had initiated probe and conducted search operations in connection with the case.

Title: Prabir Purkayastha v. ED and other connected matters