By Muslim Mirror Staff
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) began raids on Newsclick office and homes of its directors, including editor-in Chief Prabir Purkayastha and Editor, Pranjal on Tuesday morning.
According to ED sources, the agency sleuths started searches around 10 a.m. in the morning in the office premises of Newsclick in Saidulajab area of south Delhi.
The sources said that the action is based on the inputs that the news outlet received foreign funding.
A brief statement issued by Newsclick on Tuesday evening said that the raids are still underway and a full statement will be released only after the process is over. The statement further said, ”Truth shall prevail. We have full faith in the legal system.”
Earlier, speaking briefly on the issue to some reporters, Pranjal, accompanied by two ED officials, said: “There has been an ongoing raid since morning. We were shown a notice. Right now our documents are being checked. We are co-operating and will continue to co-operate.”
The Wire Editor, Sidharath Verdarajan termed the raids as “latest target” on independent media. “Sedition cases, UAPA, FIRs for 153, 505, etc, frivolous defamation suits and now ED raids, this is how the government handles India’s independent media”
Vijay Prasad, the Chief Editor of Left Word Books, asked the government to “stop harassing media”. He recalled his association with the News Click saying, “Proud to have been associated with @newsclickin from its inception. An honest news channel that the government of India has now gone after because of its coverage of farmers revolt.”
The Delhi Union of Journalists condemned the same. “NewsClick has been providing a platform to leading journalists such as Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Abhisar Sharma and P Sainath, among others. It has also been reporting extensively on the farmers’ agitation for the past two months,” said the DUJ statement.
Several other journalists’ associations have also condemned the ED raid.
(With inputs from IANS)