New Delhi: “Having spent almost five years at NewsClick, I found myself leaving the organisation without any compensation. I had three months’ salary pending. I was labelled as ‘anti-national’, and no one was willing to hire me. Wherever I went, people were more keen on hearing tales about the raids rather than addressing my problems. My life was ruined, and it remains so to this day.”This is the ordeal narrated to The Wire Hindi by a former NewsClick employee whose home was raided by the Delhi Police around 6 AM on October 3, 2023. During the raid, the police seized the phone and laptop and asked questions about the organisation’s funding and reporting.A recent Delhi high court ruling on NewsClick’s funding has put the organisation back in the limelight. The court gave a clean chit to the organisation in the money laundering case, while also reprimanding the central agency – the Enforcement Directorate (ED) – for a “gross abuse of law.”Justice Neena Bansal Krishna of the Delhi high court delivered the verdict on May 29, 2024. The order was uploaded on June 10. The court quashed the FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the subsequent proceedings initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stating that the ongoing action was not only malicious but also a blatant abuse of power directed against the petitioners’ independent and impartial journalism. The high court dismissed the ED’s claims as “completely false and baseless”.The allegations against NewsClick included violating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules and other laws brought up by the ED and EOW. Meanwhile, a separate case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA against the organisation remains pending in court, regarding which the Delhi Police had conducted raids on October 3, 2023. They targeted NewsClick’s offices, homes of over 70 journalists affiliated with the organisation, former employees and staff members, as well as the homes of approximately 100 individuals who had participated in the organisation’s programs.The case in which NewsClick has currently secured relief from the high court was registered nearly six years ago.Shattered livesThe legal importance of this verdict – after years of waiting – is immense, but if one looks at it from a human perspective, the adage “better late than never” doesn’t really fit. One might perhaps imagine how much NewsClick has changed as an institution over these years, but it is hard to fathom just how much those years have made life a struggle for the people who worked there.As of February 2024, NewsClick had about 100 employees. Most of them were staff members and journalists who depended solely on their salaries from the organisation. A lot of them came from lower-middle-class backgrounds from various states, and were the sole breadwinners for their families.The organisation also had a lot of young employees who were the first in their families to step out of their hometowns to make a living. Besides the financial hardship from losing their jobs, they have also endured mental stress from the raids and have had to face suspicious glances from others being labelled as ‘anti-nationals’ in the public eye.While working on this report, this scribe discovered that approximately 80 percent of the employees who lost their jobs at NewsClick following the raids have yet to secure permanent employment.How did it all begin?The case reportedly originated in August 2020, when the EOW of the Delhi Police registered an FIR under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Subsequently, based on the EOW’s FIR, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case against NewsClick under the PMLA on September 2, 2020. However, most employees at NewsClick only found out about it during the search operations conducted in February 2021.On the morning of February 9, 2021 – while everyone was busy with their daily routines – news started popping up on Twitter (now X) about the ED raid at the NewsClick office, posted by various journalists. This quickly spiralled into breaking news across various online media platforms and TV channels.Recalling the events of that day, Aarti*, a former journalist with NewsClick, shared: “I found out about the ED raid from a post shared by a fellow journalist on social media that morning. After making a few calls and sending out messages, I learned that raids were underway at the office and the homes of several senior staff members – specifically Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha, Editor Pranjal Pandey, and the HR Head Amit Chakraborty. Yet, amidst all this, NewsClick did not stop its operations. The team began work at the usual time, just like any other day, and we published our stories that day too – fearlessly questioning the government, true to our style.”Akash*, another former employee, added, “The raid at the NewsClick office lasted about 38 hours, while the search at Prabir’s residence went on for five days. It was a long ordeal. Still, the organization’s work remained unaffected during this period, mainly because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which meant most staff members were working remotely from home.”Several other former NewsClick journalists recounted that, shortly after the raid, Prabir called an online meeting with the entire staff. He briefed everyone about the situation and reassured them that the organization had complied with all necessary funding regulations and that there had been no irregularities whatsoever. He affirmed that the organisation would continue its work as usual, persisting in its efforts to amplify the voices of marginalized communities.During the February 2021 raid, NewsClick garnered immense support from both national and international communities of journalists, workers, artists and youth organisations – along with individuals involved in mass movements and the fields of science and technology – who expressed solidarity with the organisation’s work.ED returns after seven monthsIn September 2021, the Income Tax Department conducted a survey of NewsClick. This again sparked a wave of support for NewsClick and its journalism that questioned the government. However, the matter once again subsided.Then, in August 2023, NewsClick’s name echoed in the Lok Sabha. Reema*, a former journalist with NewsClick, recounted, “On August 7, 2023, several of us were present at the office, watching the Lok Sabha proceedings. During the session, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey brought up NewsClick while alluding to a New York Times report. He labelled the outlet as anti-national and linked it to Chinese funding and the so-called ‘Tukde-Tukde Gang.’ The day will remain etched in our memory forever.”“Our editors immediately instructed everyone present in the office to head home,” Reema added. “They told us to travel safely and not to return to the office until further notice. An atmosphere of fear began to set in, as TV channels and journalists started labeling NewsClick and its staff as ‘anti-national’ and attaching various other anti-national tags to them. Nevertheless, the organization’s work continued uninterrupted.”Several BJP leaders, including Sambit Patra and Anurag Thakur, had accused the organisation of spreading Chinese propaganda in exchange for funding. Subsequently, the Delhi Police registered a case under the anti-terror law – the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).Allegations regarding funding and alleged propagandaNewsClick faced allegations of receiving funding from an American billionaire to disseminate “Chinese propaganda.” This led to raids on October 3, 2023, targeting the homes of the website’s top leadership, junior staff, former employees, and various other individuals who had been associated with the organization in some way.During the raids, the police seized electronic devices – including mobile phones, laptops, and computers – belonging to these individuals. They also arrested NewsClick’s Editor-in-Chief, Prabir Purkayastha, and HR Head, Amit Chakraborty. In October 2023, the police sealed the Delhi-based office of NewsClick. Photo: By arrangementThis was the beginning of a period of uncertainty, fear, stress and a livelihood crisis for the employees. Some started searching for new jobs while others struggled to move past the trauma of the raid. Somehow, they managed to secure equipment like phones and laptops, and work continued amidst the turmoil.On 18 December, 2023, news about the freezing of NewsClick’s bank accounts surfaced.Recalling the situation, a former employee named Rakesh* said, “We learned about the freezing of the bank accounts through social media. Then, in an online meeting, the organization informed us that they had approached the court and were optimistic that the judiciary would prioritize the matter of our livelihoods. However, even after the Christmas and New Year holidays, NewsClick employees neither received their salaries nor the court held any urgent hearing.”Another employee, Shahbaz*, said, “I live in a rented house with my family in Delhi, and I have to pay my kids’ school fees. There are a bunch of other household expenses too, so we were relying solely on my salary. We managed to get by for a few days with some savings. But then, in the last week of January, the organisation informed us, ‘Unfortunately, we have to tell you that you should start looking for another job because we are not in a position to pay salaries right now. Our accounts are frozen, and the institute is entangled in several legal matters, that are really draining our finances.’”Shahbaz further explained, “We completed our one-month notice period, and by the end of February, nearly all employees were let go. Nobody wanted to take us in the so-called mainstream channels or institutions since we were from Newsclick, an organization that’s been accused of doing anti-national activities. A lot of people even viewed us as anti-national.”A demonstration in support of NewsClick in October 2023. Photo: Yaqut AliStruggling for jobsA former journalist of the institute told The Wire Hindi that he had to take a job at a different media organisation for around 30% less than his current salary, as he had no other source of income or job option. Some media companies told him that while his work was impressive, they did not want to attract any legal trouble by hiring him, since the investigation at his former organisation was still ongoing.Nearly two years after losing their jobs, many former journalists and staff from Newsclick still haven’t found permanent positions. They are managing to get by through freelance work. Besides, most of them have taken up roles at different organizations, but at a reduced salary, and they continue to live in fear of Delhi Police.In this scenario, the Delhi high court’s ruling might provide them some comfort, but it won’t restore their lost jobs.Swati*, who was with NewsClick at a junior position for a few months in 2018, said that her time there lasted only about two and a half to three months. Now, she has completely stepped away from the media scene, and is currently focusing on translating some books from her home.According to her, the Delhi Police also raided her place, and seized her laptop and phone. She was working on some crucial translation projects on her laptop that she was supposed to get paid for. But after the raid, things got tough. She went through a lot of mental stress due to the interrogation that went on for several months and even now, nearly two years later, she still hasn’t got her laptop and phone back.During the raid of October 2023, the police also showed up at the homes of several journalists who had left NewsClick years or months ago and had started working for other organisations.Some such employees said that following the raids, the companies they were working in fired them, suddenly rendering them jobless. This kicked off their hunt for a new job, but only a handful managed to find them, while others are still struggling with unemployment.Mental agonyIn the surprise raid by the Delhi Police at the homes of journalists and staff, they asked questions related to coverage of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), farmers’ movement and Delhi riots. They also sought information about their personal bank accounts and private details about their families.In several cases, the police advised people to quit their jobs. They also seized books and important items from their homes, including phones and laptops belonging to their family members.On October 3, most of the people were brought to the Special Cell office of Delhi Police on Lodhi Road where they faced hours of intense questioning. Many of them have been summoned here several times for further questioning, which continues to be a cause of mental distress for them.‘Process became punishment’Regarding the recent decision of the Delhi high court, editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha told The Wire that it’s “better late than never”.He described the whole process as a form of punishment. During this period, those who were laid off not only lost their jobs but also their tools for making a living, as their phones and laptops were confiscated. The impact of this loss is irreplaceable. Many young individuals were affected, especially those just starting their careers, and they had to deal with various challenges, including financial struggles. Prabir went on to explain that apart from UAPA, there are ongoing cases related to Income Tax and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against NewsClick. He said that the organisation is grappling with numerous tax and legal hurdles. While the high court’s decision has offered a glimmer of hope, a lengthy struggle still lies ahead. All of this is part of the challenges of journalism, he said. *The names of the journalists and staff members mentioned in the article have been changed to protect their identities. They fear that the police may target them any time in the UAPA case. NewsClick has denied the allegations made by the investigative agencies in all its press statements, and has called this action an attack on independent journalism.This article was first published in The Wire Hindi. It has been translated by Naushin Rehman.