Deepali Kalia-
On 28th June, Justice Subramonium Prasad of Delhi High Court recused from hearing the plea filed by NewsClick and its Editor in Chief Prabir Purkayastha, which sought quashing of the FIR registered against the news company by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case.
The Bench was also hearing another plea for anticipatory bail by Prabir Purkayastha.
In the month of February of this year, Enforcement Directorate had raided NewsClick’s premises and its editors’ residences in connection with the money laundering case.
PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd, the owner of NewsClick had been alleged to receive direct foreign investments by overvaluing the share in order to avoid the cap of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) requirement.
The Court after recusing had listed the matter for further hearing on June 30th subject to the Chief Justice’s order of listing it before another Bench.
Earlier this month, a single judge bench comprising of Justice Jasmeet Singh had granted interim protection to Prabir Purkayastha, NewsClick Editor in Chief and PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited, owner of the news portal till July 5th in the money laundering case registered against it by the Enforcement Directorate.
The Court had also sought Enforcement Directorate’s reply within 2 weeks in the plea that had sought for a copy of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), it had registered against the news portal.
