‘Gross abuse of process of law’: HC quashes Delhi Police, ED cases against NewsClick

The Delhi High Court has quashed cases filed by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against news portal NewsClick and its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha. The cases alleged violations of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms and money laundering. The High Court ruled that the FIR by Delhi Police was a "gross abuse of the process of law" and that the investment was an economic decision, not a criminal offence, especially since there was no FDI cap in digital media at the time. Consequently, the ED's money laundering case (ECIR), being dependent on the predicate offence, was also quashed, as no incriminating evidence was found despite extensive investigations.