Over the past 20-odd hours, there have been a flurry of news reports on the Delhi police’s chargesheet against NewsClick. Running into 8,000 pages, the chargesheet levels a wild range of accusations against NewsClick and its founder Prabir Purkayastha including funding terrorism, inciting protests, and having Maoist links.
NewsClick has repeatedly denied the charges against it. Today, the news portal published a detailed statement rejecting the “absurd, baseless allegations” in the chargesheet. It noted that many media reports on the chargesheet were published without seeking NewsClick’s response.
“We have consistently maintained that we do not seek a media trial; that we do not want to discuss matters that are sub judice; and that we have full faith in the judicial process. However, given the gravity, and too often, the sheer absurdity, of the allegations, we would like to state the following,” the statement began.
The statement said NewsClick and Purkayastha “have not been involved in any terrorist act” and there is no evidence for the same. Additionally, Purkayastha has been a public member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for over 50 years so “he would never support, financially or otherwise, either ‘Maoists’, Lashkar-e-Taiba or any other group or individual with any violent and/or illegal plans”.
The statement categorically said NewsClick and Purkayastha did not supply “cash for distribution to protesters” or “‘stoke’ any riots”, and it “followed all the relevant rules with regard to maps in its news bulletins and articles”. This is after the chargesheet accused them of “altering maps to portray India without Kashmir and Aksai Chin”.
A special court yesterday took cognisance of the chargesheet and listed the matter for May 31. Hours later, media reports on the chargesheet’s contents appeared. NewsClick questioned the “timing of these reports” saying “they aim to prejudice public opinion and pending judicial proceedings”.
“...This is selective leaking of the chargesheet filed by the Special Cell of the Delhi police,” the statement said. “...NewsClick reiterates, once again, that the investigations by the Delhi police and other agencies are attempts to target our independent journalism.”
Describing all allegations as “concocted and baseless”, the statement ended: “There is no corroborative material to support these statements, which will be contested by NewsClick in the courts in due course. We are confident that Prabir, NewsClick, and the work of all its journalists will be vindicated.”
Newslaundry has reported on the case against NewsClick from the start. See a timeline of events here and the rest of our reportage here.
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