By Admin 
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday (February 16) has taken major action against News Click and its Chief Editor Prabir Purkayastha. Under Foreign Exchange Management (FEMA), ED has issued him a notice of fine of Rs 184 crore. This action has been taken against him for violation of foreign exchange rules. ED officials gave this information.
According to PTI, it has been made clear in the order that a fine of Rs 120 crore has been imposed on ‘PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited’, the company owned by news portal ‘Newsclick’, while a fine of Rs 64 crore has been imposed on Chief Editor Purkayastha for the alleged violation. This action has been taken for violating the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Which includes giving wrong details of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) funds and wrong declaration of services and exports. No response has been received from ‘NewsClick’ yet on this big action of ED.
The Enforcement Directorate had taken action on the matter for the first time in September 2021, when it raided the office of Newsclick located in Saidulzab area of New Delhi on charges of money laundering. In the case, the investigating agency has recorded the statements of more than 25 people including Rakayastha, the chief editor of the news portal ‘Newsclick’. The news portal and its founder are being investigated by several agencies including CBI, ED on allegations ranging from alleged anti-national activities to money laundering and violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
In the year 2023, BJP had accused Newsclick and its associated promoters of corruption, citing a news of the American newspaper ‘New York Times’. The article said that the portal is part of a global network that receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government’s media apparatus. Newsclick website was established in the year 2009. Whose website states that it is an independent media organization, dedicated to covering news focusing on progressive movements from India and elsewhere.