Leftist news website Newsclick received 38 crore rupees from the Chinese Communist Party in the 2018-21 period, found the Enforcement Directorate while probing the financial dealings of the news website.
The money was routed through one Nevile Roy Singham who is an American of Sri Lankan origin and works for the propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Enforcement Directorate also found that a part of the money was also paid to Urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha who has been arrested in the Elgar Parishad Case.
The ED investigation found that Newsclick’s parent company, PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd., had received money from Justice and Education Fund Inc, US; GSPAN LLC, US; Tricontinental Ltd Inc, US- all have the same office address.
In the records, Newsclick has shown that most of the money it received was for “export of services”. But, Newsclick founder and Editor-in-Chief comrade Prabir Purkayastha could not explain what services did Newsclick export.
Newsclick also made payments to Bappaditya Sinha, CPM IT Cell executive.
The ED has found a series of mails linking payments to creating a pro-China narrative. Newsclick was expected to justify China’s crackdown on Alibaba founder Jack Ma, justify China’s pro-development work in Africa etc.
Prabir Purkayastha told The Times of India it was possible that Singham had shifted to China as it was safe during the pandemic.
Purkayastha could not explain to the Enforcement Directorate why an electrician was paid 1.55 crore rupees.
The BJP leader Sambit Patra said that anti-India forces were taking money from foreign sources with the sole objective of stirring up emotions in the country.
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