The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the petitions moved by NewsClick founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha and its Human Resources head Amit Chakraborty challenging their arrest and remand in the UAPA case registered by Delhi Police’s special cell.Recently both were arrested in the case and are currently in judicial custody.
The Bench of Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on Friday while dismissing the petition said they didn’t find any merits in the case.
Earlier this week on Monday after hearing at length the matter from all sides, the same bench had kept the order reserved.
During the arguments, Kapil Sibal appeared for Prabir Purkayastha and submitted that grounds of arrest are to be given to the magistrate. “This is far more serious. To date, we don’t have grounds for arrest,” he said.
“We are dealing with liberty here. The prosecution can call counsel from legal aid but you can’t call the defence counsel? This whole argument about Kashmir. I will show you the email- it is shocking. Had lawyers been present, he would have argued on merits. Not a penny has come from China,” counsel said.
The counsel appearing for Amit Chakravarty submitted that he is suffering from 59 per cent disability, is paralysed, and cannot function without a wheelchair.