Supreme Court Declares Arrest of NewsClick Editor Illegal, Sets Precedent on Arrest Procedures
New Delhi, 15th May 2024: In a landmark verdict from New Delhi, the Supreme Court has declared the arrest of NewsClick’s editor, Prabir Purkayastha, by the Delhi Police under anti-terror laws as illegal.
Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta emphasized that the absence of a remand copy rendered the arrest null and void. This ruling, by the court’s precedent set in the Pankaj Bansal case, underscores the necessity of providing written grounds for arrest.
Purkayastha, apprehended on October 3 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act amidst allegations of receiving funds connected to Chinese propaganda, faced charges of terror funding and promoting such propaganda.
Furthermore, the court granted NewsClick’s HR head, Amit Chakravarty, who was also arrested in October, permission to serve as an approver in January.
