NewsClick’s HR head Amit Chakravarty, now an approver, seeks bail in UAPA case

NewsClick's HR head Amit Chakravarty on Wednesday urged the Delhi high court to grant him bail in the anti-terror UAPA case against the news portal for allegedly receiving money to do pro-China propaganda.

Chakravarty has turned an approver in the case last month.

Order reserved

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma reserved the order on the bail plea by Chakravarty after the police said it would have no objections if relief was granted to him.

Chakravarty's lawyer said that he has been granted pardon in the case by the trial court and was also cooperating in the probe.

"I have been in custody since October 3, 2023, and still the matter is at the stage of investigation. No chargesheet is filed," the lawyer told the court, quoting Chakravarty.

Court pardon

Special Judge Hardeep Kaur had last month allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver and pardoned him.

Chakravarty has claimed that he was in possession of "material information" about the case which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and Chakravarty on October 3 last year. Both are currently in judicial custody.

China funding? 

According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country.

It alleged that Purkayastha conspired with the People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Around 300 electronic gadgets were also seized from the offices of NewsClick and the residences of the journalists who were examined.

(With agency inputs)