Income tax conducts 'survey' at BBC offices; employees' phones, computers seized

Income Tax officials are conducting survey operations on the Indian offices of the British public broadcaster BBC in both Delhi and Mumbai sources said on TuesdayIncome Tax department is conducting survey at the BBC office in Delhi Sources pictwittercomvqBNUUiHTDmdash ANI ANI February 14 2023According to sources the IT officials were verifying certain account documents in the finance department of BBCIncome tax officials arrived at BBC offices located at the national capitals KG Marg for the survey The British broadcasters office at Kalina Santacruz in Mumbai was also surveyed sources said adding that the survey was limited to business premises of BBC onlyAccording to reports a team of IT officials arrived at the BBC Studios office in Kalina Santacruz around 1130 am today and survey is going on since then There is no IT activity at the BBC News office at Linking road Bandra WestAlso Read Telangana CM KCR hits out at Centre for banning BBC Documentary on PM ModiIt is learnt that the tax officials are conducting verification of certain account documents in the finance department of the BBC officesDuring the investigation the mobile phones of all the employees present in the BBC office have been taken away by the Income Tax team The data of the computer kept in the accounts and finance department was also scanned According to sources officials said the devices will be returned to their owners after taking a backupThe searches come weeks after the BBC released a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi India The Modi Question which caused controversyOn January 21 the Centre had issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi The Supreme Court had on February 3 directed the central government to produce original records relating to its decision to block the BBC documentaryStudent unions at several varsities including JNU Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi University Panjab University and those in Kerala Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the country had organised screenings of the documentaryMeanwhile earlier today Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the government is after the BBC instead of accepting an Opposition demand on a Joint Parliamentary Committee on AdaniHindenburg matterTMCs Mahua Moitra also took to Twitter and wrote Reports of Income Tax raid at BBCs Delhi office Wow really How unexpectedCentral Govt has embarrassed itself and the Country by raiding offices of BBC Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a tweetThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever