Prabir Purkayastha, founder of NewsClick, and a colleague were arrested. Mobile phones and laptops were also seized by the police.

NewsClick denies receiving illegal funds from China, but officials are investigating the allegations.

The move has been criticized as an intentional attack on press freedom.

NewsClick is an independent news and current affairs website that has been critical of government since 2009. The company was raided by Indian tax authorities in 2021 over allegations of violating foreign direct investment regulations.

The raids on Tuesday at 30 locations were some of the largest and most extensive in recent years on India’s media. Amit Chakravarty, the website’s head of human resources, and Mr Purkayastha were later arrested by police. According to a police statement, 37 male suspects and nine female suspects were questioned at premises, while digital devices, documents, etc were seized/collected for examination.

The opposition accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of attacking the media again. The Minister of Information and Broadcasting, however, said investigative agencies were merely performing their duties. Additionally, journalists Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Urmilesh, Bhasha Singh, Sanjay Rajoura and Sohail Hashmi were questioned. Police stations were visited by some.

News agency ANI reported that searches were also conducted at the website’s Delhi office.

Also in Mumbai, activist Teesta Setalvad’s house was searched. Setalvad has long advocated for victims of the Gujarat riots of 2002 and written critical articles about the government for NewsClick.

According to a source close to Mr Purkayastha, more than 15 policemen arrived at the editor’s home at 06:30 local time (01:00 GMT).