Delhi police held meeting before raiding 30 locations linked to NewsClick, sources

According to sources, the Delhi police’s special cell met in the wee hours of Monday before conducting a number of raids on locations connected to NewsClick on Tuesday. Using information from central authorities, the investigation—which is still ongoing—was started. Additionally, according to sources, a special cell of the Delhi Police’s New Delhi Range received a FIR against NewsClick.

As part of the investigation, editor of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in the national capital today. Sources said that the first meeting before launching the crackdown was held by the top officials of the special cell on Monday (October 2). The meeting was attended by over 200 police personnel at 2 am at the special cell office in Lodhi colony.

Apart from Senior Officials, the mobile handset of Junior officials were kept at the station, to hide any leaked information. The special team carried out raids at more than 30 locations, sources said, adding that suspects were marked in the A, B, and C categories.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, teams of the Delhi police special cell & Mumbai police conducted searches at the residence of activist Teesta Setalvad.
The raids are being conducted on a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, which include UAPA, 153A of IPC (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy).

The raid team on Tuesday morning also reached at Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury’s residence to question his staffer Sri Narayan’s son Sunmit Kumar. The raid team seized the mobile, laptop, and hard drive of Sunmit Kumar, who works at NewsClick, sources said.