Delhi-based independent online news portal NewsClick.in has come under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The law enforcement and economic intelligence agency conducted a raid at the office and residence of several journalists for an alleged money laundering case.
As per reports of several media outlets, those raided included the residences of the editor Pranjal and owner Prabir Purkayashta besides the portal's Delhi office located at Saidulajab.
According to The Quint, the agency is carrying out a probe related to the funding the media portal from "dubious companies" abroad.
Moreover, the report also quoted editor Pranjal, "There's a search going on since morning, also at some of our houses. We are cooperating and will continue to cooperate. They are searching through the documents and have given us a notice".
Several journalists took to Twitter and confirmed the raid. Some including The Wire's founder-editor Siddharth Varadarajan condemned the raid stating, "Sedition cases, UAPA, FIRs for 153, 505, etc, frivolous defamation suits and now ED raids, this is how the government handles India's independent media. @newsclickin is the latest target…"
