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Journalism of Courage
Over two months after summoning five persons to join investigation in a terror case against NewsClick Editor Prabir Purkayastha, Delhi Police Special Cell has received replies from US-based businessman Neville Roy Singham’s business partner Jason Pfetcher and think tank Tricontinental’s executive director Vijay Prashad.
The five people who were issued notices in April by the Special Cell were Singham, Pfetcher, Prashad and two NewsClick journalists, Anand Mangnale and Pawan Kulkarni. “In his reply, Prashad informed he is currently abroad and will join after he returns to India. Manglane had already informed them he is out of the country for work and will inform them when he will be back. Kulkarni’s health is not well,” the source said. They have not received a reply from Singham so far, another source said.
On May 15, the Supreme Court said that Purkayastha’s arrest was invalid and a Delhi court granted him bail in connection with the case lodged under the UAPA provisions following allegations that “they received funds through Chinese firms to spread pro-China propaganda”.
“Police found in their probe that a company Worldwide Media Holding LLC, USA was incorporated by Pfetcher, with 100% equity of People Support Foundation (Jodie Evans, wife of Singham is a director) in November, 2017.
Pfetcher’s reply was received in an email and the investigation officer was informed that a private foundation, People’s Support Foundation Ltd (PSF), was created by them and all funds donated to PSF came from the sale of ThoughtWorks. Their private foundation PSF never received funds from any foreign government,” the source said.
In its chargesheet, the Delhi Police said Singham and Purkayastha prepared a “service agreement” with Tricontinental Ltd. The chargesheet said: “…Email communications between Singham, Vijay Prashad, Prabir and their associates established that Singham was actively pursuing the China line on Covid-19, despite mounting criticism of the same from the international community. Singham is seen clearly nudging Prabir and the PPK NewsClick team to peddle the Chinese version…”
It also said that Singham, his associate Pfetcher and partner Jodi Evans, created a web of organisations — Worldwide Media Holdings, Justice & Education Fund, Inc. and People’s Support Foundation — to infuse funds into NewsClick.
“The incorporations of the offshore entities is indicative of the deepening bond between Singham and Prabir and the felt need to infuse greater funds into India with the progressive expansion of their unlawful agenda which included stoking and sustaining recent Delhi riots, disinformation campaign on Covid-19, stoking farmer’s protest and outright terror funding of banned LWE and Pak sponsored Kashmiri terrorist organisations,” the chargesheet said.
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