Neville Roy Singham is a China-based American tech millionaire (File).
New Delhi:
American millionaire Neville Roy Singham has been summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering probe connected to the NewsClick case, sources told The Hindkesharion Thursday. The central agency has reportedly sent the summons via the Ministry of External Affairs; Mr Singham is based in Shanghai. According to news agency PTI, it was also e-mailed to Mr Singham.
Sources said the process began after a Delhi court issued a Letter Rogatory – a formal request to Chinese courts for help. Chinese authorities had refused to serve a more direct summons last year.
NewsClick is being investigated – under the anti-terror law UAPA – for alleged links to China-linked entities to receive funding to broadcast Chinese propaganda in India. Mr Singham was named in a report by The New York Times that alleged his involvement in the global spread of such material.
Mr Singham – whom the ED has named an accused in the related probe – has denied the charges.
The ED began its probe on the back of a complaint by Delhi Police and, in October, the homes and offices of several journalists, including founder Prabir Purkayastha, were raided. Mr Purkayastha and others, including the website’s Human Resources head, Amit Chakravarty, were arrested hours later.
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Both were arrested by Delhi Police’s Special Cell. The ED will now seek custody of Mr Purkayastha, in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, The Hindkesharihas been told.
Both Mr Purkayastha and Mr Chakravarty had approached the Supreme Court to challenge an October 19 Delhi High Court order that upheld their arrest and remand by the police.
Last week the court deferred the hearing till after the festive break.
The FIR alleges NewsClick received Rs 9.59 crore in funding from the United-States registered Worldwide Media Holdings LLC in 2018/19, and that this was in violation of FDI laws.
The document claims “foreign funds (were) fraudulently infused by Neville Roy Singham”, an American millionaire believed to have close ties to the Chinese government’s media machine.
READ | Explained: What Is The Case Against NewsClick? Facts And Charges
According to the FIR, these funds were “routed from China in circuitous and camouflaged manner and paid news were intentionally… criticising domestic policies, development projects…”
READ | “Foreign Funds Infused Illegally, Intention To Disturb…”: NewsClick FIR
NewsClick has denied all charges and has pointed out that while it has been raided since 2021, no money laundering complaint has been filed yet. It said raids had been carried out by the Enforcement Directorate, Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing, and the Income Tax Department.
READ | “Criminal Cases Filed To Create Chilling Effect”: NewsClick To Court
“Yet, in the last two plus years, the Enforcement Directorate has not been able to file a complaint accusing NewsClick of money laundering,” the website said in a statement following the police raids.
With input from agencies
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