A dump of email exchanges between American billionaire Neville Roy Singham and senior communist leader Prakash Karat is under the scanner of the ED, PTI has reported citing its sources. The ED is investigating China connection of controversial news outlet NewsClick and its involvement in money laundering.

NewsClick is alleged to have received dubious funds from Neville Roy Singham, who has ties with the China’s communist regime.

The investigation agency is also probing the transfer of funds of about Rs 40 lakh from NewsClick to the family members of Teesta Setalvad, a transfer of about Rs 72 lakh to journalist and author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, some employees of NewsClick and a few ‘independent’ media persons over a period of time.

It had found that NewsClick also paid Rs 17.08 lakh as “salary” to Gautam Navlakha, who is in jail, Rs 97.32 lakh to Bappaditya Sinha, a shareholder in NewsClick and a member of the IT cell of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) over an unspecified period.

NewsClick’s activities came under the spotlight after a recent New York Times report, which said that the outlet was part of a global network that received funding from Singham. As per reports, Singham works closely with the Chinese government media machine to spread Chinese propaganda.

The ED had first raided the premises of NewsClick in New Delhi’s Saidulajab area in September 2021 on charges of money laundering and since then the probe is continuing alongside the litigation between the two sides in the Delhi High Court.

The agency has recorded the statements of more than 20 people in this case including that of NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha.