New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in a case under anti-terror laws as “invalid” and directed that he be released from custody.
The order was issued by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, as reported by PTI.
The arrest was based on allegations outlined in a First Information Report (FIR), which claimed that the news portal received substantial funds from China with the intent to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and foster disaffection against the country.
Additionally, the FIR accused Purkayastha of conspiring with a group named the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Supreme Court’s ruling deemed the arrest under anti-terror laws as unwarranted and ordered Purkayastha’s immediate release from custody.
