Yes, a private prosecutor in criminal proceedings cannot apply to the court for investigation and evidence collection. Article 195 of the Supreme People's Court's Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning Execution stipulates that after the people's court accepts a case of private prosecution, if the parties cannot obtain or provide relevant evidence due to objective reasons, the people's court may, if it deems it necessary, obtain evidence from the people's court.
legal ground
Article 170 of the Criminal Procedure Law
A case of private prosecution should be "a minor criminal case that the victim has evidence to prove". If the private prosecutor has no evidence, the court cannot accept it as a private prosecution case.