NEW DELHI: Amit Chakravarty, the HR head of NewsClick, moved an application before special judge Hardeep Kaur last week, seeking pardon in a case lodged against him under the anti-terror law UAPA.
Hardeep Kaur has posted the matter before a metropolitan magistrate who will record Chakravarty’s statement. In his application, he said he was ready to give his statement under Section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate.
Chakravarty filed the application under Section 306 of CrPC. The provision allows a court to grant pardon to an accomplice in a crime on the condition that the person makes a full disclosure of the whole circumstances within his knowledge related to the offence and every other person concerned in the case.
The development comes after the court granted the special cell of Delhi police an additional 60 days under Section 43D of UAPA to complete their probe against Chakravarty and NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha.
This provision provides investigators 90 days to complete a probe, which would have ended on January 1, 2024. However, it also empowers courts to give an investigating agency an extension of maximum 180 days.
A money laundering case filed earlier is also pending against NewsClick. The allegations include overvaluing shares, diverting funds and violating FDI regulations.
NewsClick and Purkayastha had earlier approached the Delhi high court seeking a copy of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED against them in the money laundering case.
The HC passed interim orders on June 21 and July 20, 2021, directing ED not to take any coercive action against the website and its founder.
In August this year, the Delhi HC issued a notice to NewsClick and Purkayastha following a plea by the ED seeking vacation of these orders that were protecting the two from coercive action.
Hardeep Kaur has posted the matter before a metropolitan magistrate who will record Chakravarty’s statement. In his application, he said he was ready to give his statement under Section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate.
Chakravarty filed the application under Section 306 of CrPC. The provision allows a court to grant pardon to an accomplice in a crime on the condition that the person makes a full disclosure of the whole circumstances within his knowledge related to the offence and every other person concerned in the case.
The development comes after the court granted the special cell of Delhi police an additional 60 days under Section 43D of UAPA to complete their probe against Chakravarty and NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha.
This provision provides investigators 90 days to complete a probe, which would have ended on January 1, 2024. However, it also empowers courts to give an investigating agency an extension of maximum 180 days.
A money laundering case filed earlier is also pending against NewsClick. The allegations include overvaluing shares, diverting funds and violating FDI regulations.
NewsClick and Purkayastha had earlier approached the Delhi high court seeking a copy of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED against them in the money laundering case.
The HC passed interim orders on June 21 and July 20, 2021, directing ED not to take any coercive action against the website and its founder.
In August this year, the Delhi HC issued a notice to NewsClick and Purkayastha following a plea by the ED seeking vacation of these orders that were protecting the two from coercive action.