The Supreme Court on Friday (November 6) issued notice to digital news portal NewsClick and its founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the Delhi High Court's May 29 judgment that quashed the money-laundering case against them, Live Law reported. This is a new development in the case Awaaz Punjab reported on October 24, when the ED had filed its challenge and the matter was yet to be listed.

Source: Live Law

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued the notice and directed that the matter be listed after four weeks. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the ED, sought time and told the Court that the Delhi Police would also move against the same High Court order in the meantime, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

During the hearing, Justice Bagchi remarked that the Bench was 'not very impressed with the ED SLP itself', according to court reporting by Verdictum — an oral remark made during the hearing, not a finding on the merits. The Court nevertheless issued notice, which is a procedural step seeking the respondents' replies; it does not reverse the High Court judgment.

Source: Verdictum

The High Court judgment under challenge, delivered by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna on May 29, quashed FIR No. 116/2020 registered by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing under Sections 406, 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, along with the ED's Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered on September 2, 2020 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, holding that continuation of the proceedings amounted to an abuse of the process of law.

The proceedings stem from allegations — which NewsClick and Purkayastha have denied in the case — concerning an investment of about Rs 9.59 crore (USD 1.5 million) received in April 2018 from US-based Worldwide Media Holdings LLC in exchange for 7.69 per cent shares. The allegations are yet to be established in court.

These EOW and ED proceedings are separate from the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell against NewsClick and Purkayastha over separate foreign-funding allegations, which remains independent of this appeal. The case is listed as Directorate of Enforcement v. M/s PPK NewsClick Studio Pvt. Ltd., Diary No. 63217/2026.