New Delhi [India], May 15 (HBTV): The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared invalid the arrest and subsequent remand of NewsClick founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha by the Delhi police in connection with a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).   

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta ordered the release of NewsClick founders in the case.

The apex court ordered that Purkayastha be released, subject to him furnishing surety and bail bond.    

The bench, in its verdict, took into note that a copy of the remand application and grounds of arrest were not provided to Purkayastha, which violated principles of natural justice.    

Pronouncing the verdict, the top court said, "A copy of the remand application was not provided to the appellant. This vitiates the arrest of the appellant. Though we would have released him without surety, since the charge sheet has been filed, we release him with surety and a bail bond."    

Purkayastha has been in custody since October 2, 2023. He has been lodged in Tihar jail under anti-terror law and has applied in a pending case seeking release on medical grounds.    

Purkayastha had approached the apex court, challenging his arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over alleged Chinese funding to promote anti-national propaganda. He challenged the Delhi High Court's October 13, 2023, order upholding the trial court order remanding him to police custody. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.  

Earlier, NewsClick's human resources department head, Amit Chakravarty, had withdrawn from the Supreme Court his petition against his arrest.   

A Delhi court had allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case lodged against the news portal.   

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.