Delhi police raided the houses of several journalists and political commentators in the early morning of Tuesday, October 3. Police raided the houses of stand-up comic and political satirist Sanjay Rajoura, journalists Bhasha Singh and Prabir Purkayastha, and Abhisar Sharma of NewsClick, oral historian and activist Sohail Hashmi, writer Githa Hariharan, and senior journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Urmilesh and Aunindyo Chakraborty. Abhisar Sharma said that the police seized his laptop and phone. Police also seized the phones and laptops of the others, and took some of them to the police station, according to reports. All of them were associated with NewsClick, and India Today reported that the raids were related to a case against NewsClick under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.  

According to The Wire, the journalists are being questioned in matters “related to terror links”, and their phones, laptops have been taken away by the Delhi Police. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, is a journalist who has done several investigations against high-profile people including Gautam Adani and faces many defamation suits across the country. The Wire also reported that D Raghunandan, a scientist and writer associated with the Delhi Science Forum, had been “taken away” by the police.  

The Enforcement Directorate is already investigating NewsClick and has accused them of money laundering. The central probe agency had raided the offices of NewsClick and its founder Prabir Purkayastha’s residence back in 2021 over the case, alleging infusion of “fraudulent” foreign funds into the company. The ED has since claimed that the organisation was involved in a "criminal conspiracy of paid news" for which funds were received illegally. 

NewsClick was founded in 2009 by Prabir Purkayastha, who is also the Editor-in-Chief. NewsClick is owned by PPK NEWSCLICK Studio Private Limited. ED has claimed that the organisation was set up to publish “anti-national news” at the behest of foreign donors. 

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