The Income Tax survey being conducted at BBC office in Delhi and Mumbai had continue overnight. The survey, which began around 11.30 am on Tuesday, is expected to go on till Wednesday morning, reports said. The income tax sleuths reportedly seized the phones and laptops of the BBC journalists and other staff. The I-T department is probing tax details of the UK's national broadcaster pertaining to the past few years
New Delhi: The Income Tax survey being conducted at BBC office in Delhi and Mumbai had continue overnight. The survey, which began around 11.30 am on Tuesday. The income tax sleuths reportedly seized the phones and laptops of the BBC journalists and other staff. The I-T department is probing tax details of the UK’s national broadcaster pertaining to the past few years.
While the survey provoked strong reaction from journalists and opposition leaders across India, there has been no official reaction on the issue from the I-T department or the Finance Ministry so far. Documents were seized and phones and laptops of journalists were taken away. Employees were allowed to leave six hours after the searches began, only after their laptops had been scanned. Visuals showed some employees arguing with the official.
This ‘survey’ comes after a two-part documentary by the BBC on the 2002 Gujarat riots, which created an uproar across the country. As per reports, the officials of the I-T department are probing the tax details of the UK national broadcaster relating to the last few years.
Income Tax officials are currently at BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are co-operating fully, the BBC tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. We hope that this situation will be resolved at the earliest. The report, quoting sources, said that six hours after the search began, the employees were allowed to go only after their laptops were scanned.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price has given a statement on the IT survey in BBC offices in India. Ned Price said: “We are aware of the searches of the BBC offices in Delhi by the Indian tax authorities. I would say more broadly that we support the importance of a free press around the world.
