FEMA Adjudicating Authority Imposes ₹184 Crore Penalty on NewsClick, Founder Prabir Purkayastha
The Foreign Exchange Management Act authority penalized NewsClick and its founder for deliberate misclassification of ₹92.22 crore in foreign funds over multiple years.
- A FEMA order on February 16, 2026, imposed a ₹120 crore fine on PPK Newsclick Studio and ₹64 crore on Prabir Purkayastha, the ED said.
- An ED complaint under Section 16 prompted adjudication, which found about 16 crore of FDI in 2018-19 was received by misrepresenting business activity.
- The adjudicator found misclassification and non-submission of SOFTEX forms in foreign inward remittances of ₹82.63 crore , describing breaches as substantial and deliberate.
- Prabir Purkayastha was held personally liable under Section 42 of FEMA; ED searches in 2021 covered his and NewsClick's premises, and statements from more than 25 witnesses were recorded, with NewsClick response awaited.
- NewsClick describes itself as an independent outlet founded in 2009, and the Bharatiya Janata Party cited a 2023 New York Times report alleging ties to Neville Roy Singham's global funding network.
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16 Articles
ED slaps Rs 184-cr FEMA penalty on NewsClick, editor
The order specifies that the company that owns the portal NewsClick has been penalised for an amount of Rs 120 crore, while Purkayastha has been issued the same order for Rs 64 crore of alleged violations, the ED said.
FEMA adjudicating authority imposes ₹184 crore penalty on NewsClick, founder Prabir Purkayastha
The adjudication proceedings were initiated on a complaint under Section 16 of FEMA filed by the ED alleging contraventions of FEMA and the rules and regulations pertaining to the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds
ED Imposes Rs 184 Crore Penalty on Newsclick and its Director Prabir Purkayastha Under FEMA
Of the total, a penalty of Rs 120 crore has been imposed on the company and Rs 64 crore levied on its director, Prabir Purkayastha, under Section 42 of FEMA, holding him responsible for the conduct of the company's business during the relevant period.
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