The editor of News click arrested under the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act (USPA) Prabir Purkayasta has got a huge relief from Supreme Court. Arrested for allegedly propagating the anti India propaganda using Chinese funds through the digital media, Prabir has been released by the two Judge bench of Supreme Court today subject to filling of the bail bond as per the trial court directives.
The relief have been granted to the News click editor Prabir Purkayasta by the two judge bench comprising of Justice B.R.Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta while hearing the petition filed by him challenging his arrest and remand on UAPA charges.
According to the latest news while granting bail to News click editor Prabir Purkayasta, the two judge bench of SC has questioned as to why the special cell of Delhi police has not informed the counsel of Prabir Purkayasta and informed the magistrate concerned about his arrest and incarcerating him hurriedly in advance.
The two judge bench of Justice B.R.Gavai and justice Sandeep Mehta has expressed its surprise that the remand orders were implemented before informing the counsel of Prabir Purkayasta. The bench has kept the order reserved for the time being with regard to the UAPA 1967 charges levelled against the News Click editor Prabir Purkayasta. Prabir was arrested last year in October 2022 on the charges of anti national propaganda on Chinese funding to News click portal.
The senior advocate of Supreme Court Kapil Sibal who is appearing for News click editor Prabir Purkayasta while arguing in the matter said that Prabir was arrested on October 2023 in the evening and produced before the magistrate in Delhi the next morning.
Arguing in the court Kapil Sibal said that apart from the additional public prosecutor the legal aid counsel was also present there when Prabir was arrested. Kapil added, what is surprising that the counsel of the News click editor Prabir Purkayasta was not informed about his arrest and remand etc. When Prabir objected to it vehemently the probe officer informed counsel of Prabir on phone and sent their remand application in WhatsApp.
The two judge bench asked the ASG as to why the advocate of Prabir Purkayasta not informed before his arrest and remand and what was the hury or desperation to produce him before the magistrate at 6 in the morning when he was arrested at 5.45 PM the previous evening , You had one complete day asked the Court ?
The two judge bench categorically that that the natural justice principles demands that the counsel of Purkayasta should also have been there n informed during his arrest and delivery of demand remand order.
Though the ASG Raju tried his best to convince the two judge bench but they turned down his every logic and gave bail to the news click editor releasing him, keeping its order reserved after a long argumentation.
The two judge bench was hearing a plea filed by News click editor challenging the High Court order upholding his arrest by Delhi police . The the HRD chief of News click Amit Chakraborty had also challenged his arrest upheld by the Delhi High Court but it was withdrawn after his becoming the government approver in the case.
