In its FIR against NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and others, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has alleged that big Chinese telecom companies, like Xiaomi and vivo, incorporated thousands of shell firms in India in violation of PMLA/FEMA for illegally infusing foreign funds.
“Further Prabir Purkayastha, Neville Roy Singham, Geeta Hariharan, Gautam Bhatia (key person) conspired to create a ‘Legal Community Network’ in India to campaign for and put up spirited defence of legal cases against aforementioned Chinese telecom companies in return for benefits by these companies,” says the FIR in possession with IANS.
It said that “Purkayastha, Singham, Gautam Navlakha, and their known and unknown associates have been involved in continuous unlawful activities which include undermining India’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”.
“Aforementioned accused have conspired to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts by aiding and abetting disruption of supplies and services essential for the life of community and continued damage and destruction of property through illegal means.
“By inciting disaffection among the people especially farmers towards the democratically elected government of India they have been creating divisions and disharmony among different group/classes of people as a part of a larger criminal conspiracy having international ramifications.
“The accused have employed a web of illegal transactions through illegal and circuitous route using several companies etc. to illegally infuse foreign funds for perpetrating aforementioned acts through conspiracy,” the FIR added.
On Tuesday, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty.
The following day, they were sent to seven-day police custody by a Delhi court.
On August 17, the Special Cell had registered a case alleging that foreign funds amounting to crores of rupees had been illegally funneled into India.
The case has reportedly been registered under various Sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (Terrorist Act), section 17 (raising funds for terrorist acts), section 18 (Conspiracy) and section 22 C (Offences by Companies) of the UAPA and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
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