17 October,2023 08:16 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Neville Roy Singham/ ThoughtWorks
American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who has faced accusations of spreading Chinese propaganda in India, has strongly refuted claims that he received funds or instructions from any government or political party, including China and the Communist Party of China, stated a report in PTI.
In a statement provided to The Hindu newspaper, Singham, currently residing in Shanghai, expressed his scepticism regarding the language used in the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, suggesting that the claims appeared to be influenced by misinformation from an article published by The New York Times.
He noted that The New York Times intentionally chose not to publish all the factual rebuttals he provided on July 22, 2023, prior to their publication date, the report further stated.
Furthermore, Singham rejected the allegations of fraudulent infusion of funds through a "complex web of several entities" mentioned in the FIR and the NYT article. He also refuted any innuendo that he violated Indian or US laws by collaborating with banned organizations, emphasizing that there is no evidence to support such accusations.
Singham, who has been accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India and abroad, primarily through his funding network and his IT consulting company, ThoughtWorks (which he sold in 2017), also contested the Delhi Police FIR's claims about his close ties with the Chinese government's media machinery and his alleged financing of news outlets that promote Beijing's agenda, PTI report stated.
He expressed shock at the attempt to connect him to Chinese telecom companies, Xiaomi and Vivo, in the FIR, emphasizing that he has no knowledge of their activities in India and has never had contact with or received funding from these companies, directly or indirectly. Furthermore, he has not worked on behalf of these companies.
Singham clarified that while ThoughtWorks, a digital solutions provider, had government clients over the years, including the US, the UK, and Australia, it did not have dealings with China.
NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and head of the HR department, Amit Chakraborty, were arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the case.
Singham's response underscores his denial of any involvement in the allegations put forth against him, particularly in relation to Chinese propaganda activities in India.
