Published Jun 11, 2026 | 9:02 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2026 | 9:18 AM
Prabir Purkayastha. (Wikimedia)
Synopsis: Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said the continuation of the FIR was a gross abuse of the process of law. The court held that even if the allegations in the FIR were accepted, the essential ingredients of offences under sections 406 and 420 of IPC were not made out
The Delhi High Court has quashed the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)’s FIR and the Enforcement Directorate’s Enforcement Case Information Report filed against news portal NewsClick and its Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha.
Quashing the reports, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said the continuation of the FIR was a gross abuse of the process of law. The court held that even if the allegations in the FIR were accepted, the essential ingredients of offences under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC were not made out, LiveLaw has reported.
The FIR was registered in August 2020, based on a complaint by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ministry alleged that NewsClick had received ₹9.59 crore from US-based Worldwide Media Holdings LLC through an overvalued share transaction to circumvent FDI transaction norms.
The EOW forwarded the FIR to the ED after a probe.
NewsClick argued that regulatory permission was not required for FDI in the online publication of news. The high court noted that the media firm had sought clarification on the policy from the I&B Ministry in 2017.
The judge noted that there was no cap on FDI in digital news media when NewsClick received the investment in April 2018. Further, the court noted that the I&B Ministry’s clarification made it clear that there was no cap on the online publication of news and the investment agreement between NewsClick and Worldwide Media was not in violation of any law. The court also said there was no complaint of cheating.
Purkayastha was granted interim protection from arrest in June 2021.
Earlier, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell had arrested Purkayastha on 3 October 2023 under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly receiving money to peddle pro-China propaganda through stories. He was released from the Tihar Jail on 15 May 2024, after the Supreme Court declared his arrest “invalid”.
