NewsClick founder out of Tihar after SC ruled his arrest ‘invalid'

Delhi court directs Purkayastha not to tamper with evidence

NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha was released from Tihar Jail on Wednesday after the Supreme Court ruled his arrest “invalid.” He had been imprisoned since November 2 of last year. According to his lawyer Arshdeep Singh Khurana, Purkayastha came out of jail number 10 of the prison in Rohini at 9 pm. His family members and friends received him outside the jail complex.

The court on Wednesday ordered the release of Purkayastha, declaring as “invalid in the eyes of law” his arrest by the Delhi Police in a case under the anti-terror law.

The apex court observed that a copy of the remand application in the “purported exercise of communication” of grounds of arrest in writing was not provided to Purkayastha or his counsel before the passing of the remand order dated October 4, 2023 which “vitiates” his arrest and subsequent remand.

“As a result, the appellant is entitled to a direction for release from custody by applying the ratio of the judgement rendered by this court in the case of Pankaj Bansal,” a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said.