- Indian police accuse Xiaomi, Vivo.
- Allegations related to fund transfer.
- NewsClick investigation sparks controversy.
Documents released on Friday revealed that Indian police have formally accused Chinese smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi Corp and Vivo Mobile of assisting in the unlawful transfer of funds to a news portal under investigation on charges of spreading Chinese propaganda.
A spokesperson for Xiaomi India categorically refuted the allegation. Vivo did not provide an immediate response to repeated requests for comment from a spokesperson, and the NewsClick news portal, which has previously denied any misconduct, did the same.
Opposition and media rights organisations in India have asserted that the NewsClick investigation and related accusations constitute an assault on the press; the government has refuted this allegation.
A police complaint from August 17 stated the charges.
Several days after officers raided NewsClick’s New Delhi office and journalists’ residences, then arrested the organization’s founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and a senior administrative official, it was disclosed to attorneys for individuals named in the complaint on Friday.
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Reuters has obtained a copy of the complaint, which alleges that NewsClick’s Purkayastha engaged in a conspiracy with an obscure voluntary organisation in order to incite discontent and disrupt the sovereignty of India.
According to the police document, substantial financial resources were obtained from China in order to disseminate biassed news that disparaged Indian policies and initiatives while defending Chinese policies and programmes.
The complaint further states that major Chinese telecommunications companies (including Xiaomi, Vivo, and others) fraudulently infused foreign funds into India in furtherance of this conspiracy by incorporating thousands of shell companies in India in violation of India’s foreign currency laws.
A senior police officer verified that the document contained allegations against the two corporations in question and that it was authentic.
“We are completely unaware of this. The spokesperson for Xiaomi India stated unequivocally, “We categorically refute the aforementioned allegation lodged against us in the First Information Report (FIR),” which is the official title of a police complaint in India.
In all aspects of its business operations, Xiaomi adheres to and demonstrates the highest regard for all relevant legislation. “There is no basis for any allegation of conspiracy,” stated the spokesperson.
Vivo and Xiaomi are two of the largest phone manufacturers in India.
The police document refrained from providing additional elaboration on the means by which the information was obtained, presenting evidence to support the companies’ involvement, or specifying the course of action that the police were presently contemplating.
This week, NewsClick also declared that it does not disseminate any information or news at the direction of any Chinese organisation or authority. Its attorneys have petitioned the Delhi High Court to dismiss the complaint.
China has previously refuted allegations of interference in India and has demanded that New Delhi establish an environment that is equitable and devoid of bias towards Chinese enterprises.
Twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were slain in a military confrontation on their contested Himalayan border in 2020, which precipitated a precipitous decline in relations between India and China.
Despite the fact that border tensions have decreased following multiple rounds of military and diplomatic negotiations, New Delhi maintains that normalcy cannot be restored until there is a total cessation of hostilities and de-escalation.
