On Thursday, the third day of the “survey” by the Income Tax department at the BBC’s Delhi office began with inspectors collecting financial information from a small number of employees.
Survey by Income Tax Department enters Third Day
The IT department also created copies of the news organization’s electronic and paper data. According to sources , the operation that started at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai at 11:30 am on Tuesday has lasted more than 45 hours.
Authorities have stated that ‘Survey’ are likely to continue for some time and added that
“exact time frame to call the operation closed depends entirely on the teams on ground”.
According to officials, the survey is being carried to look at issues with international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies.
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Survey Teams seeks answers on Financial Transactions and Company Structure
According to tax officials, the survey teams are copying data from electronic devices as part of their work of gathering evidence and are looking for answers on financial transactions, the corporate structure, and other details concerning the news firm.
The I-T department’s action against British Broadcasting Corporation in London has been condemned by opposition parties as a “political vengeance.”
BJP accuses BBC of Partisan Reporting
The BBC has been accused of “venomous reporting” by the ruling BJP on Tuesday, and the opposition questioned the timing of the action, which came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots entitled “India: The Modi Question.”
Although the Income Tax Department has not released an official comment regarding the incident, the BBC has stated that it is working with law enforcement.
BBC continues broadcasting news as usual
BBC staffers in Delhi, have revealed that news was being broadcast as usual. In response to the contentious programme, the Supreme Court last week rejected a petition calling for a total ban on the BBC in India, labelling it “totally misconceived” and “completely meritless.”
In April, a new batch of petitions contesting the government’s decision to prohibit access to the documentary on social media sites will be heard. The government has issued orders to remove numerous YouTube videos and Twitter posts that contained links to the documentary on January 21.
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