Earlier this month, a Delhi court had allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case lodged against the news portal under UAPA.
NewsClick.
NewsClick’s human resources department head Amit Chakravarty on Monday withdrew from the Supreme Court his petition against his arrest under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or the UAPA.
Earlier this month, a Delhi court had allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case lodged against the news portal under UAPA over allegations that it received money to spread pro-China propaganda.
The separate pleas filed by Chakravarty and NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha against their arrest under the anti-terror law came up for hearing before a bench headed by Justice BR Gavai.
An advocate appearing in the matter requested the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta, that Chakravarty be allowed to withdraw his plea.
“Let him withdraw if he wants to withdraw,” Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police, told the bench, while responding to the lawyer’s prayer.
The bench allowed Chakravarty to withdraw the plea. Raju told the bench that the other petition filed by Purkayastha has to be heard.
The bench posted the matter for hearing on 30 January.
A Delhi court had earlier this month pardoned Chakravarty on an application he moved seeking the court’s permission to turn an approver.
Chakravarty had claimed he was in possession of “material information” about the case which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police.
The Special Cell arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty on 3 October. They were sent to judicial custody on 10 October.
On 19 October, the top court sought the response of the Delhi Police on pleas of Purkayastha and Chakravarty challenging the Delhi High Court order of 13 October.
The high court had on 13 October dismissed their pleas against the arrest and subsequent police remand in the case.
The police, however, sought their fresh custodial interrogation on 25 October.
On 16 November, the ED issued a fresh summons to Singham under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
On 30 November, a team of Delhi Police went to Mumbai to question activist Gautam Navlakha in connection with the NewsClick probe.
The Delhi Police had registered a case under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, and 22 of the anti-terror UAPA, and also invoked Sections 153A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code on 17 August.
According to the Delhi Police’s remand copy, which was submitted before the court on 4 October when it produced Purkayastha and Chakravarty, the analysis of the e-mails shows that US-based businessman Neville Roy Singham, Purkayastha, and Chakravarty were in direct touch with each other and discussed how to create a map of India without Kashmir and to show Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed area.
According to the FIR, a large amount of funds received by the news portal came from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.
It also alleged Purkayastha conspired with a group — the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) — to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on 3 October on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data, the police said.
Around 300 electronic gadgets were also seized from the offices of NewsClick and the residences of the journalists who were examined.
Following the raids, 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the Special Cell in Delhi and NCR.
(With PTI inputs)
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