AMIT CHAKRABORTY Vs. STATE NCT OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By way of present petition filed under Sec. 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 ('Cr.P.C.'), the petitioner seeks release from custody in case FIR No. 224/2023, registered on 17/8/2023 under Ss. 13/16/17/18/22C of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1956 and Ss. 153A/120B of Indian Penal Code, 1860 ('IPC').

(2.) The FIR, in a nutshell, was registered on the allegations that foreign funds had been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities, inimical to India, in pursuance of a conspiracy to disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India. It is alleged that since April 2018, such fraudulent funds, running into crores of rupees had been received by M/s. PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd. through illegal from M/s. Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, USA and others. It was also alleged that Mr. Prabir Purkayastha, Mr. Mr. Doraiswami Raghunandan, Mr. Amit Sengupta, Mr. Bappaditya Sinha, Mr. Gautam Navlakha, Mrs. Geeta Hariharan, Mr. Amit Chakraborty (petitioner) and M/s. Worldwide Media Holding LLC were the shareholders of PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd. The petitioner was arrested on 3/10/2023 in the present FIR.

(3.) The present petitioner was arrested on 3/10/2023 and since then, he has been in custody. The petitioner had initially filed a petition before this Court, whereby he had challenged his arrest and remand to police custody. However, the same was dismissed by the Co-ordinate Bench on 13/10/2023. The Special Leave Petition filed against this order was withdrawn by the petitioner on 22/1/2024.