The Income Tax Department is conducting a “survey” at the British Broadcasting Service’s (BBC) Delhi office. It isn’t clear as of now why the department visited the London-based company. Sources from the department told Zee Media that it isn’t a raid but a survey. They said a team of 60-70 people are part of the ‘survey’ at BBC’s Delhi office.
The Income Tax Department is conducting verification at multiple British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices, an agency official said on Tuesday. The exact contour of the survey are unknown yet. More details are awaited.
“There’s income tax raid in office, they’re confiscating all phones,” a BBC journalist was quoted as saying by AFP .
The surprise action comes weeks after the broadcaster airedp a two-part documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and India. In January 2023, the British broadcaster released a two-part docu-series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, titled, “India: The Modi Question”. The series was not broadcast in India.
The department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the company and those related to its Indian arm, the officials said. As part of a survey, the Income Tax Department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.
As part of a survey, the Income Tax Department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.
According to the details, the mobile phones of the employees were seized and they were asked to go home, while those working on the afternoon shift at the BBC’s Delhi office were asked to work from home.
Two people looking after the Urdu services, along with the finance department officials were inside the office premises, they said.
The BBC has two offices in Mumbai – one at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and another one at Khar.
The IT officials were present at the BKC office premises, while the employees at the BBC’s Khar office were asked to go home.
