The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches on the digital news platform and several other places in connection with the alleged receipt of 30.51-crore foreign ‘remittances’ in the past three years, according to a senior agency official.
Commenting on the raid, Newsclick said, “Despite this harassment, has cooperated fully with the authorities, and will continue to do so,’ If the ED and the government are truthful and follow the course of law, no wrongdoing will be found and this unfortunate event will be closed. Newsclick has nothing to hide.”
The ED officials left the office premises after 38 hours of the raid with two sealed boxes with laptops and documents, but raids continued at Prabir Purkayastha and Githa Hariharan’s houses.
Enforcement Directorate officials left after 38 hours of raid at the @newsclickin office with two sealed boxes with the electronic devices and documents.#Newsclick #EDraid #journalism pic.twitter.com/1ulLSP8NWL
— Shahid Tantray- شاہد تانترے (@shahidtantray) February 10, 2021
The long 5-day raid at Newsclick’s editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and author, author’s house was exhausting. Githa Hariharan’s had a heart attack recently and has not moved out of the house since the raid started. The editor-in-chief is 74 years old and was held up inside his house.
The attack on #Newsclick is an application of the Modi doctrine of demonisation of dissent and assault on independent media, especially sections of media that focus on struggles for justice, people's rights and the constitutional vision of a secular democratic republic.
— Dipankar (@Dipankar_cpiml) February 9, 2021
In the meantime, journalists are raising their voices in solidarity with Newsclick saying, “The attacks on the critical press is brazen. The ED raid on Newsclick is very disturbing. This atmosphere of demonization has to stop. Dissent is a constitutional right. Calling opponents “anti-national” has to stop. Sadly, sections of the media have played a big role in this!”