NewsClick case: Supreme Court asks for medical report of founder Prabir Purkayastha

The Supreme Court docket ordered the Delhi Police to submit the medical report of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha who’s at the moment lodged in Tihar jail in a case registered in opposition to him beneath anti-terror legislation UAPA.

A bench comprising Justice B R Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta requested Extra Solicitor Basic S V Raju to submit the report of the jail’s medical officer inside every week. The instructions adopted after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, showing for Prabir Purkayastha, submitted that his consumer’s medical situation just isn’t good and the courtroom ought to ship for a report from the jail authorities.

Senior Advocate Kabil Sibal stated that point retains clicking however I don’t get the information. The Senior Advocate added that the one factor they need proper now could be that this courtroom ought to name for a medical report from the jail superintendent. He talked about that the founder is 74-year-old and is in nice issue. 

Countering Kapil Sibal’s prayer for a report from the jail’s medical officer, the ASG S V Raju stated he would get an applicable report from AIIMS.

The courtroom expressed disappointment at ASG S V Raju’s objection and acknowledged that it’s stunning to listen to such a press release. It added that if the authorities don’t have belief in their very own officer, they have to take away him or take motion in opposition to him. Subsequently, the apex courtroom directed the ASG to submit a report inside every week and adjourned the listening to until February 27.

In the meantime, NewsClick’s human assets division head Amit Chakraborty had earlier withdrawn his petition in opposition to his arrest beneath the anti-terror legislation, the Illegal Actions (Prevention) Act (UAPA) from the Supreme Court docket.

Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakraborty  have been arrested by the Particular Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3. As per the FIR, enormous funds to the information portal allegedly got here from China to disrupt the sovereignty of India and trigger disaffection in opposition to the nation. The FIR additional alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a gaggle named Folks’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to sabotage the electoral course of in the course of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.