A series of serious allegations concerning foreign funding, editorial roles, and potential legal violations have emerged against alleged fact-checking website Alt News and individuals associated with it, centering on grants from a US-based foundation.
The controversy involves Mohammed Zubair, alleged fact-checker and co-founder of Alt News, who was reportedly sent to 14 days judicial custody by the Patiala House Court in New Delhi in July 2022 after his bail was rejected. Zubair faced (and continues to face) accusations of hurting religious sentiments, while the Delhi Police had also been investigating potential violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act – FCRA – regarding alleged receipt of funding from Pakistan, Syria, and other countries.
Cut to 2025, Zubair publicly challenged individuals to prove his involvement in foreign funding. In response, critics have presented evidence targeting two journalists linked to Alt News.
The Funding Allegations
Investigations reveal that Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh, a neuroscientist and author, and Sharfaroz Satani, from Boston, received a grant totaling ₹50 Lakh from the Thakur Family Foundations Inc, a USA-based organization. The foundation’s stated mission is working in public health and civil liberties.
Let me prove you foreign funding radical Zubair.
Your two journalists had received Rs.50 Lakh from the USA based Thakur family foundation.
Now prepare your self for playing victim card!
CC: @AdityaRajKaul https://t.co/z6PhSaZN7Q pic.twitter.com/SyalDkOh6o
— Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) October 5, 2025
The Thakur Family Foundation Inc. is a United States 501(c)(3) organization founded by Dinesh Thakur and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. According to its profile on leftist institution Ashoka University, the Foundation “invests in capacity building for an empowered society through participative, socially-just governance.”
A look at the tax filings over the past few years indicate the grants received by Dr Sumaiya Shaikh and Sharfaroz Satani.
When netizens indicated this, Zubair claimed that the grant recipients were merely “contributors” and not Alt News employees, but evidence from 2019 shows Dr. Shaikh repeatedly identifying herself as the “editor of a fact-checking science portal.” Furthermore, screenshots from the Alt News website itself list her as an editor, specifically the “founding editor for Alt News Science” from 2017 to 2021.
Zubair has subsequently made conflicting statements, asserting that Dr. Shaikh is not an Indian citizen, was a contributor to Alt News rather than an employee, and that the grant from the Thakur Foundation was for her personal research, not for writing for Alt News.
Well, it is unclear how a founding editor became a “contributor” all of a sudden. A look at the Alt News profile of Sumaiya Shaikh shows us that she stopped “contributing” in 2021.
Another Alt News ‘Contributor’ Gets Foreign Funds To Write Articles
Another Alt News ‘contributor’ Sharfaroz Satani, reportedly received USD 5,907 (approximately ₹4.43 lakh) between 2020 and 2021 from the Thakur Family Foundation. When combined with the grant to Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh, the total amount comes to around ₹50 lakh. Since Alt News does not possess an FCRA licence, it is not permitted to accept foreign contributions directly — yet the funds appear to have reached the platform indirectly through its employees.
Hello @dir_ed @IncomeTaxIndia
One more Altnews fact checker, Sharfaroz Satani, received $5,907, equivalent to ₹ 4,43,000, during the years 2020 and 2021 from the Thakur Family Foundation.
The total amount is ₹ 50 lakh if we combine both fact checkers. Altnews does not have… https://t.co/s7jYPmQZbX pic.twitter.com/v85R8nGzrU
— Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) September 20, 2025
In essence, the Pravda Foundation (under which Alt News functions) — despite not having an FCRA licence — seems unaware that its so-called “contributors” were penning pieces for Alt News while being bankrolled by a foreign NGO.
The Grant’s Purpose And Propaganda
Documentation from the Thakur Family Foundation’s website explicitly states the purpose of the award: “WE MADE AN AWARD TO NEUROSCIENTIST AND AUTHOR, DR. SUMAIYA SHAIKH, TO SUPPORT HER FACT-CHECKING CLAIMS RELATED TO EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE.”
There are also links to the specific articles produced under this grant on Alt News website. These articles, which were published on platforms associated with the individuals, are alleged ‘fact-checking’ pieces that apparently debunked various claims related to COVID-19. The articles include:
Debunking claims that Vitamin C and lemon-infused hot water can protect against coronavirus or cancer.
Addressing exaggerated effects of the “Janta curfew” as a 14-hour period to kill the coronavirus on surfaces.
Countering claims of genetic superiority of Indians in dealing with COVID-19.
Investigating the scientific basis of Patanjali’s Coronil as a cure for COVID-19.
Scrutinizing home remedies promoted by an Ayurvedic practitioner and the AYUSH ministry’s promotion of “immunity boosters” like Arsenicum Album 30 and Ayush Kwath.
Don’t spread lies. I am not your Namazi blind follower who believes in your propaganda!
She got grants to write propaganda fact-check articles for your website, not for research.
Here are the screenshots of the Thakur Family Foundation’s website, where it is clearly written… https://t.co/P5h7q6fOnK pic.twitter.com/v71vsUCuP4
— Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) October 5, 2025
It is noteworthy that Thakur Foundation is alleged to be a pharma lobbyist and all the articles written by Shaikh counter the natural medicine systems that provided medicines such as Ayurveda, Homeopathy during COVID-19 period.
Legal And Regulatory Questions
The situation raises significant legal and ethical questions. Questions are being raised whether Alt News is a news aggregator or a news publisher, and if foreign entities are legally permitted to control or influence the editorial policies of a news publishing platform in India.
Is @AltNews a news aggregator or news publisher? Are foreign entities allowed to control editorial policies of a news publishing platform? @MIB_India ?https://t.co/DqFdI8gNk3 https://t.co/7y6B5DH7Fk pic.twitter.com/fTcWz9D9fx
— Krish Sriram (@Ashvalayanam) October 6, 2025
So your contributors had received ₹50 lakh of foreign funding for writing only 10 to 15 propaganda articles on your website?
It’s also illegal even if they accept foreign funding to write articles for your website.
This is not a small amount. https://t.co/0CBsc0oNIS
— Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) October 5, 2025
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