Case alleging FDI norms violation dishonest

NEW DELHI: NewsClick Tuesday urged the Delhi High Court to quash the cases filed against it for alleged violation of foreign funding laws, saying its prosecution was completely dishonest, malafide and intended to harass the media portal, and now its founder was “sitting in jail” in another case.

The news platform, which has assailed the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR against it as well as the subsequent case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering, asserted it has not violated any guidelines or norms governing foreign direct investment.

“There is no violation of any guidelines; no violation of any tax (law). There is no violation of FDI (norms),” argued senior advocate Kapil Sibal before Justice Saurabh Banerjee.

“This is a completely dishonest, malafide complaint filed to harass a media channel. Now the man is sitting in jail,” said Sibal as he voiced his disapproval of NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha’s arrest in a case lodged against him under anti-terror law UAPA.

“In the new FIR, they say the money came from China.. You can’t send people to jail like this. He is a 72 year old man,” the senior counsel said.

Sibal contended that no offence was made out in the present case as the foreign funds from an investor abroad came in due compliance with the applicable law and practices.

“That’s why poor people are languishing in jail (because) the news portal is against the establishment,” Sibal added.

The lawyer submitted that the claim of foreign funds given to Newsclick having caused a loss to the exchequer cannot be sustained as it was a private transaction.