Updated, Nov. 16, 2023 2.02 PM.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to American millionaire Neville Roy Singham for questioning in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to online news portal NewsClick. The businessman, who is accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India, is stated to be currently based in Shanghai, China.
Official sources said, the fresh summons have been issued to Singham after the ED got issued Letters Rogatory (LR) from a Delhi court seeking to record his statement. The summons has been sent to Singham on his email id and through the Chinese government channels, after the ED routed them through the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Delhi Police had also filed a FIR against him and the founders of NewsClick. A report by The New York Times claimed that NewsClick is part of a global network that received funding from Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media machine.
The ED had first raided the premises of NewsClick in Delhi in September, 2021 on charges of money laundering. The agency has recorded the statements of more than 25 people in this case, including that of NewsClick founder and Editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha.