Delhi Police raids homes of journalists and contributors of NewsClick, “I don’t need to justify the raids” says Anurag Thakur, Opposition calls it an attempt to muzzle the voice of independent media

The Delhi Police on Tuesday morning raided the homes of journalists and contributors associated with the news portal Newsclick to investigate terror links under the UAPA. These raids come amidst the allegations of the portal’s funding coming from an organization that supports Chinese propaganda.

As per reports, the houses of past and present journalists and contributors of NewsClick were raided by the police, that include Satyam Tiwari, Aditi Nigam and Anuradha Raman. On early Tuesday morning, houses of Newsclick editor Prabir Purkayastha, Githa Hariharan, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Sohail Hashmi, Sanjay Rajaura, Teesta Setalvad, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, and Subodh Verma were targeted by the Delhi Police. According to ‘The Wire’, the recent raids are in tandem with an FIR filed on August 17, 2023, with the case invoking several sections of the UAPA, including 13, 16, 17, 18, and 22. The FIR also invokes sections 153(a) and 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code, which relate to promoting enmity between different groups and being party to a criminal conspiracy.

The Delhi Police have seized mobile phones and laptops of the journalists and detained Satyam Tiwari at the Lodhi Road Special Cell Office, however, no arrests have been made so far. As reported by ‘The Wire’, the employees of NewsClick were asked if they had covered events like the COVID 19 pandemic in India or the Farmer’s protests.

Journalists whose homes were raided, took to social media, detailing their experiences. Senior journalist Abhisar Sharma, wrote on X, "Delhi police landed at my home. Taking away my laptop and phone." Taking to X, Bhasha Singh said, "Finally last tweet from this phone. Delhi police seizure (sic) my phone."

Indian social activist and human rights campaigner Shabnam Hashmi said that these raids are an attempt to ‘stifle the democratic voices of journalists.’ “Today, early morning at 6 am, Delhi Police's special cell raided Sohail Hashmi's residence. 6 people barged into the house and the bedroom. Questioned him for two hours . The cops have seized his computer, phone, hard disc and flash drives. His residence was one among many journalists whose houses were raided by the special cell early morning today. The stifling of democratic voices of journalists, intellectuals, artists and common civilians goes unabated under this government. In the name of legal proceedings what the common people face today is sheer intimidation, harassment and fear by the Indian state. We will not be silenced by such intimidating tactics by the government to stop citizens exercising the constitution rights.”said Shabnam Hashmi taking to X.

In connection with the said raids, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said that he does not need to justify them, adding that agencies are entitled to conduct investigations if someone has done something unlawful. “The probe agencies are independent and they are doing their jobs by following rules…I don’t need to justify the raids. If someone has done something wrong, the probe agencies do their job. It’s nowhere written that probe agencies can’t take action if money has come to you from wrong sources or something objectionable has been done.”said the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

Expressing their deep concern over the raids conducted at the houses of journalists and writers associated with NewsClick, the Press Club of India said, “The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with #Newsclick. We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement. The PCI stands in solidarity with the journalists and demands the government to come out with details.”


The Opposition lashed out at the BJP government at the center and has alleged that the raids are an attempt to ‘silence all those who speak against the Central government.’ Congress Spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “The early morning raids on contributing journalists at Newsclick comes as fresh distraction from the explosive findings of caste census in Bihar and the growing demand for caste census across the country. When he faces questions from out of syllabus, he resorts to the only counter he has in his predictable syllabus – DISTRACTION”


“Senior journalists raided and taken for questioning. Their phones and laptops seized . New India takes the press seriously.”said TMC MP Mahua Moitra taking to X.


Alleging that the phones and laptops of the journalists were seized ‘were forcibly snatched only for a fishing expedition.’ "GOI claims India is the mother of democracy and about press freedom abroad yet in the same breath uses state agencies to crackdown on the remaining handful of independent media outlets. Even telephone devices have been forcibly snatched only for a fishing expedition. The repeated illegal pattern of arrest first & creating fake charges later is extremely perturbing," said Mufti stating that the Government of India uses state agencies to crackdown upon independent media outlets in India.


In August, a New York Times investigation in claimed that NewsClick is an organization that is supported by a network tied to US businessman Neville Roy Singham that promotes Chinese propaganda. The said FIR purportedly has its roots in the aforementioned investigative report. "These are not new allegations. They have been made in the past. We will respond to them in the appropriate forum, i.e. the court, as the matter is sub judice." said Prabir Purakayastha, NewsClick's editor rubbishing the claims of the said investigation by the New York Times.