NEW DELHI, May 15, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - India's top court on Wednesday orderedthe release on bail of an editor jailed in connection with a case alleginghis news website received Chinese funding. Prabir Purkayastha was arrested last year after a New York Timesinvestigation alleged his English-language outlet NewsClick had beenfinancially supported by a network pushing Chinese propaganda. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Purkayastha's arrest by theEnforcement Directorate, India's financial crimes agency, was illegal sinceit failed to communicate the grounds for detention in writing to him. The court said that its ruling on Purkayastha's confinement was not astatement on the merits of the ongoing case against him. India has dropped from 140 to 159 on its rankings of media freedom, accordingto Reporters Without Borders.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha May 15, 2024 19:47 UTC