<p>New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has slapped a Rs 184-crore FEMA penalty against news portal NewsClick and its editor-in-chief, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/newsclick-founder-prabir-purkayastha-released-from-tihar-jail-after-sc-declares-arrest-as-invalid-3024337">Prabir Purkayastha</a>, official sources said on Monday.</p><p>The order specifies that the company that owns the portal -- PPK NEWSCLICK Studio Private Limited -- has been penalised for an amount of Rs 120 crore while Purkayastha has been issued the same order for Rs 64 crore of alleged violations, the sources told PTI.</p><p>The entities have been found "contravening" the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) on essentially two counts -- misrepresentation of FDI funds apart from misdeclaration of services and exports.</p><p>A response from NewsClick on the development is awaited.</p><p>The ED had first raided the premises of NewsClick located in the Saidulajab area of the national capital in September, 2021 on charges of money laundering.</p>.Supreme Court orders release of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, declares arrest 'invalid'.<p>The agency has recorded the statements of more than 25 people in this case, including that of Purkayastha.</p><p>The BJP, in 2023, had quoted a New York Times news article to allege wrongdoing by the portal and its promoters. The news article had stated the portal was part of a global network that received funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media machine.</p><p>The 2009 founded portal states on its website that it is an independent media organisation dedicated to covering news from India and elsewhere with a focus on progressive movements.</p>
<p>New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has slapped a Rs 184-crore FEMA penalty against news portal NewsClick and its editor-in-chief, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/newsclick-founder-prabir-purkayastha-released-from-tihar-jail-after-sc-declares-arrest-as-invalid-3024337">Prabir Purkayastha</a>, official sources said on Monday.</p><p>The order specifies that the company that owns the portal -- PPK NEWSCLICK Studio Private Limited -- has been penalised for an amount of Rs 120 crore while Purkayastha has been issued the same order for Rs 64 crore of alleged violations, the sources told PTI.</p><p>The entities have been found "contravening" the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) on essentially two counts -- misrepresentation of FDI funds apart from misdeclaration of services and exports.</p><p>A response from NewsClick on the development is awaited.</p><p>The ED had first raided the premises of NewsClick located in the Saidulajab area of the national capital in September, 2021 on charges of money laundering.</p>.Supreme Court orders release of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, declares arrest 'invalid'.<p>The agency has recorded the statements of more than 25 people in this case, including that of Purkayastha.</p><p>The BJP, in 2023, had quoted a New York Times news article to allege wrongdoing by the portal and its promoters. The news article had stated the portal was part of a global network that received funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media machine.</p><p>The 2009 founded portal states on its website that it is an independent media organisation dedicated to covering news from India and elsewhere with a focus on progressive movements.</p>