Raids follow Times investigation into China-aligned philanthropist Neville Roy Singham

Location: India, Delhi
Date: October 3, 2023

Delhi police carried out raids at the homes of prominent journalists, including at least seven women journalists, following a New York Times exposé linking the outlet NewsClick to China-aligned philanthropist Neville Roy Singham. Amidst an increased tightened grip on critical media, authorities exploit the findings as a guise for an anti-terrorism investigation into the newsroom and its journalists. The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been documenting the Indian government's escalating press freedom violations and is extremely alarmed by the latest probe into past and current journalists, contributors, and employees of Newsclick. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is also disconcerted by the Times’s editorial decision to name independent, small, and critical news outlets for having received funding from an organization founded by a pro-China philanthropist, especially considering the likely impacts of doing so in light of the present hostile environment for press in India.  

“I feel the attack on NewsClick is a warning to the section of the free press and independent publications that still dares to hold the establishment accountable,” an Indian journalist tells CFWIJ under condition of anonymity, adding the aim is “to make you think twice before you launch a journalistic investigation into any issue the government may not like,” 

At least seven women journalists, including Bhasha Singh, Githa Hariharan, Anuradha Raman, Aditi Nigam, Sumedha Pal, Teesta Setalvad, and Aritry Das, had their homes raided in the early hours of October 3, 2023. During the raids, phones and other electronic devices were seized, and the journalists were questioned. 

On Friday, October 6th, police formally accused Newsclick of receiving illegal funds from Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi Corp and Vivo Mobile to spread Chinese propaganda.

“The completely absurd nature of allegations in the FIR clearly show that the proceedings initiated against Newsclick are nothing but a blatant attempt to muzzle the free and independent press in India,” Newslick said in a statement on the 6th. 

The raids are reportedly linked to a case registered against NewsClick in August. It followed a report by The New York Times, which claims the website had received funds from the American millionaire Neville Roy Singham. The investigation implies Singham funds organizations and media outlets worldwide to spread "Chinese propaganda." It offered one video by Newsclick which said that “China’s history continues to inspire the working classes,” as evidence Singham’s funding influenced Newsclick’s editorial policies.

While corporate filings show Newsclick received funding from Singham’s network, no evidence is given to support the grants dictated the newsroom to follow pro-China angles. 

NewsClick vehemently denies propagating for the Chinese or receiving direction from Singham concerning the news they produce. “Newsclick is an independent news website. Our journalistic content is based on the highest standards of the profession,” a statement regarding the raid released on October 4th raids.

The New York Times stands by its story, but a Times spokesperson says they “would find it deeply troubling and unacceptable if any government were to use our reporting as an excuse to silence journalists.”

Following the raids, protestors flocked to the Times’ office near Times Square to denounce the investigation, which in their piece had acknowledged the crackdown by the Modi government on the news outlet. 

Kavita Krishnan, a writer with the Indian commentary website Scroll and a member of India’s communist party, says the Times decided to publish NewsClick’s name knowing its full consequences. “They knew exactly what would happen: because I told them so,” says Krishnan, explaining she was asked for comment on the story prior to publication, but refused because she was concerned “the story would fuel the ongoing persecution of NewsClick journalists.”  

She explained to the reporter how NewsClick would perhaps be a single line in their story, “but in India, its impact would be outsized. In fact, the story would probably be remembered most for dramatically escalating the state crackdown on journalists in India.”

Despite Krishnan’s warnings — who says Newsclick “earned credibility and respect for retaining its journalistic integrity and independence in spite of being a tiny organization with very modest funds at its disposal” — the Times story mentions several media platforms without identifying them but names NewsClick.

Jason Pfetcher, an attorney previously employed by Singham’s private foundation, the People’s Support Foundation (PSF), which invested in NewsClick, says the Times also chose not to include PSF’s comment that the foundation neither received foreign funding or direction from “any foreign individual, organization, political party, or government (or from any of their members or representatives).” 

“Their (the New York Times) salacious headlines and misleading ‘reporting’ have now directly contributed to the arrest of innocent journalists,” Pfetcher says, adding that no one at PSF or Singham’s other foundations ever directed editorial policies at NewsClick. 

Whether or not Pfetcher and PSF’s statements are truthful, it is incredibly disheartening that editors at the New York Times believed the decision to name NewsClick, a respectable news organization, was worth the consequences.  

Raids, Interrogations, and Arrests

The raids targeted the residences of past and current journalists, contributors, and employees of Newsclick. Some affected News Click journalists took to social media to share their experiences. Aritry Das, one of the journalists whose home was raided, wrote on Twitter that police barged into her home at 6 a.m., confiscating her laptop, phone, and hard disks. Bhasha Singh, an activist and journalist for News Click, also had her phone seized during the raid.

Police also targeted journalists who previously collaborated with the news outlet, including Anuradha Raman, a former journalist of Hindu and contributor to Newsclick, and Aditi Nigam and Sumedha Pal. Writer, editor, and activist Githa Hariharan’s home was also raided. 

In Mumbai, Teesta Setalvad, an activist and journalist who has been advocating for the victims of the 2002 riots in Gujarat state and has written articles criticizing the government for NewsClick, had her house searched.

Journalists were questioned by police about their work for NewsClick and, in particular, their reporting on the farmers’ protests, COVID-19 (on migrant workers' issues during the pandemic), and the 2020 Delhi riots. Police asked reporters who told them to write these reports and if they had received extra payment for covering these topics. Each of these stories were reported on extensively in national and international media outlets. 

A journalist whose home was raided by police told CFWIJ their mental health has been hugely impacted by the search and seizure of their devices.

“There are signs of PTSD from the raid, as per my doctor,” they say. “Every time the bell rings, my heart skips a beat. I am afraid to speak on anything that might be deemed sensitive on the phone as my phone might be monitored. I will never feel digitally safe again.”

The founder of the news site, Prabir Purkayastha, and one of his colleagues were arrested and remain in custody.

In addition to the raids on journalists' homes, searches were also carried out at the NewsClick office in Delhi. The police statement confirms that 37 male suspects were interrogated at police stations, while nine women suspects were questioned at their homes. Digital devices, documents, and other items were seized for further examination.

The investigation into Newsclick is being conducted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), a stringent law primarily aimed at combating terrorism. This law severely limits the chances of those arrested being granted bail and allows police to circumvent previous court rulings finding the newsroom not guilty and an interim order protecting its founder from arrests. The UN notified the Indian government earlier that the law undermines India’s commitment to uphold human rights. 

“I and others are not sure what happens next for us. My goal right now is to retrieve the data,” The journalist expresses fear over what may happen to their work. “My devices and data can easily be tampered with, and that scares me. But as I plan to continue my journalistic work even more rigorously, I will try my best to appeal to the justice system to retrieve a copy of my data,” they added.

The simultaneous raids at 30 locations mark one of the most extensive crackdowns on media in India in recent memory. India's ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has significantly declined under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mounting Support For NewsClick

Following the raids, newsrooms and journalism unions have spoken out in solidarity with the newsroom and its journalists. 

NewsClick, established in 2009, is known for its critical stance towards the government and covers often ignored stories of marginalized communities. Founder of the Indian news website The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan, says police questioning NewsClick journalists about their reporting on farmers’ protests isn’t surprising. “While the government says it is investigating a crime on the level of terrorism, the main goal is to delegitimize and criminalize certain topics and lines of inquiry,” he adds.

Farmers organizations have been vocal in their support of NewsClick. “The government is targeting journalists who impartially covered the farmers’ struggle,” says Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), Punjab’s largest farmer organization. 

Both the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) and The Press Club of India have organized meetings in support of NewsClick. 

Amandeep Singh, general secretary of the Punjab Students Union (Lalkar), calls the charges against the newsroom fabricated. “This government is creating narratives like Maoism, left-terrorism and China to win the 2024 elections,” he says.

“I wish our writers, too, would not limit themselves to mere condemnatory statements but give up their fears, petty greed and desires and stand with media organizations like NewsClick and journalists, intellectuals and social workers who question power,” says Dr Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, General Secretary of the Kendriya Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, one of Punjabi’s largest writers organizations. 

Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy told Coda Story that India is in “an especially dangerous moment,” with the government purposely designating journalism as terrorism. 

A Target on Their Backs

In 2021, NewsCllick faced a separate raid by tax authorities over allegations of violating India's foreign direct investment regulations. The courts granted the newsroom’s employees interim protection from arrest while dismissing the tax complaint filed against the outlet, finding it to be without merit.

“A Government that has not been able to substantiate any charges against Newsclick [...] needed a motivated and bogus article published in the New York Times [...] to shut down and stifle independent and fearless voices that portray the story of the real India,” Newsclick’s statement reads.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns the raids, arrests, and seizure of journalists' equipment. The incident has raised concerns about the state of press freedom in India and the protection of journalists' rights. We call on Delhi prosecutors to drop the investigations and urge Indian authorities to cease their persecution of journalists and outlets critical of the government. 

We also express concern about The New York Times' decision to name independent, small, and critical news outlets that received funding from a pro-China philanthropist. Modi’s government, who have created an increasingly hostile environment for independent journalism, have utilized the outlet’s report to conduct anti-terrorism operations against NewsClick and its journalists. We urge NYT to reflect on the consequences of naming NewsClick in its investigation, considering the widespread crackdown on Indian journalists that followed.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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