Alt News Says Foreign Funds Charge False, Terms It Attempt To Shutdown Critical Work

Fact-checking website Alt News on Monday rejected allegations of the Delhi Police that it had received funds from foreign sources in violation of the law.

The website also claimed that the multiple allegations against it were an attempt to shut it down.

“The allegations claim that we have received funds from foreign sources from whom we cannot receive donations. These allegations are categorically false,” Alt News said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle.

The Delhi Police had said that Pravda Media, under which Alt News operates, received over Rs two lakh through various transactions where either the mobile phone number or the IP address was of foreign countries.

“Our payment platform through which we receive donations does not allow receipt of funds from foreign sources, and we have received donations from Indian bank accounts only,” the Alt News statement said.

The statement said all donations collected through these means go to the organisation’s bank account.

The Patiala House court in Delhi on Saturday sent the Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair, arrested last Monday, to judicial custody for 14 days.

Alt News also dismissed allegations that Zubair received donations in his personal account.

“The allegation that individuals associated with the organisation have received funds in their personal accounts is also false as individuals associated with the organisation only get monthly remuneration,” it said.

Alt News claimed that the allegations against it were an attempt to shut it down.

 “All of this is an attempt to shut down the very critical work that we do, and we will fight this attempt to shut us down and come out on top,” the statement said. 

(With PTI inputs)