THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Nov 16: American millionaire Neville Roy Singham has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the NewsClick terror case, sources said.
The initial mention of Neville Roy Singham came from a report by The New York Times, accusing the American millionaire of participating in the global dissemination of Chinese propaganda.
Through the Ministry of External Affairs, the federal agency has sent the summons to Singham in China.
Singham, who is listed as an accused in the NewsClick terror case, has previously refuted claims that he is handling a financing network connected to the propaganda arm of the Chinese government, which disseminates China’s talking points globally, including in India, via NewsClick.
He has been designated as an accused in the case by the special cell of the Delhi Police, which resulted in the apprehension of the editor and HR head of NewsClick.
Last month, raids were conducted on approximately 100 individuals, including journalists and activists.
Prabir Purkayastha, the editor-in-chief of NewsClick, and the human resources head, Amit Chakravarty, were apprehended by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell last month. These arrests came in the aftermath of synchronized raids conducted at around 100 locations nationwide.
On November 2, the Patiala House Court in Delhi remanded Prabir Purkayastha, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Newsclick, and HR head Amit Chakravarty to 30 days of judicial custody.
In a case brought under the anti-terror law UAPA, the two were arrested on charges that the news portal NewsClick had received large sums of money for spreading propaganda favouring China.
The news portal allegedly received significant funding from China in order to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and incite discontent with the nation, according to the FIR.
The allegation further stated that Purkayastha was involved in a conspiracy with the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to disrupt the electoral proceedings during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
