The NewsClick portal has rejected the Delhi Police’s allegation against it that it accepted funds from China to disrupt India’s sovereignty, saying that proceedings initiated against it were a “blatant attempt to muzzle” the free press in India. It called the police’s FIR that said the portal was attempting to trigger disaffection against the country, “untenable and bogus.”

In the FIR, filed under the stringent UAPA, the police claimed the foreign fund was brought into the company’s coffers by an active member of the Communist Party of China, identified as Neville Roy Singham.

In a statement on Friday night, Newsclick said it had never committed or attempted to encourage violence, secession or any other illegal activity.

“The allegations in the FIR, apart from being ex facie untenable and bogus, have been made time and again, in investigations by three government agencies – the Enforcement Directorate, the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police, and the income tax department,” it said.

The statement comes days after the police arrested the portal’s founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and its HR head Amit Chakravarty, hours after raiding its journalists and 88 locations allegedly linked to it.

It said the latest FIR against the company was aimed at carrying out “illegal arrests” under the Act, which it described as draconian.

The copy of the FIR was provided to NewsClick after a Delhi court’s intervention.

The Delhi Police registered an FIR under sections 13, 16,17, 18 and 22C of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and 153A, and 120B of the IPC.

The police are expected to question ten people, including senior journalists, on Monday.

With inputs from PTI