Prabir PURKAYASTHA
Image Credit: Adv.tksujith/WikkiCommons
Author Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor-in-chief of online media platform NewsClick, remained on trial at the end of the year. He was initially arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 3 October 2023, after Delhi Police’s Special Cell conducted coordinated raids targeting journalists, writers, and contributors associated with NewsClick. During the raid on Purkayastha’s home, police seized his electronic devices without providing seizure memos and hash values—procedural safeguards intended to prevent evidence tampering.
On 11 October 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted further raids on Purkayastha’s home and office as part of an investigation into whether NewsClick violated foreign funding regulations under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) (see Case Lists 2023-2025).
On 15 May 2024, Purkayastha was released on strict bail conditions hours after the Supreme Court ruled that his arrest under the UAPA was invalid and ordered his release. In July 2025, the Delhi High Court granted him anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail in connection with the ongoing FCRA investigation, providing protection from arrest while proceedings continue. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also granted him anticipatory bail in a related money laundering case brought by the Enforcement Directorate.
The actions against Purkayastha form part of a broader investigation into NewsClick, which, according to media reports, relates to alleged funding from individuals purportedly connected to the Chinese Communist Party. NewsClick staff have consistently rejected these allegations.
Born in 1952, Prabir Purkayastha is a journalist, writer, and activist. He is the author of several books, including Knowledge as Commons: Towards Inclusive Science and Technology (2023), and co-author of Enron Blowout: Corporate Capitalism and Theft of the Global Commons (2002) and Uncle Sam’s Nuclear Cabin (2007). He founded NewsClick in 2009 to platform independent journalism focused on progressive movements in India and internationally. In 2023, he published his memoir, Keeping Up the Good Fight: From the Emergency to the Present.