BBC offices in Delhi, Mumbai: a fresh target for the Income tax Department
A team of Officials from the Income Tax Department raided the Offices of BBC in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai today. The team consisted of 15 officials.
As per sources, there are allegations of International Taxation and Transfer pricing irregularities against the BBC. "The department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the company and those related to its Indian arm" , said one of the Officials amongst the team.
Under normal conditions, the income tax department only covers the business sector of a company and doesn't go on to raid the residences and locations of its promoters and administartors.
As per claims of the witnesses, the mobile phones of the employees, were seized and they were asked to go home, while those supposed to work on the afternoon shift, At the BBC's Delhi office were advised to work from home. The BBC has two offices in Mumbai, one at BKC and the other at Khar, the IT officials were present in the BKC branch during the raid, while the employees at the Khar branch were advised to go home.
This incident is being closely linked with the infamous documentary Based on the, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was later banned by the government itself. There has been a huge politician uproar over the incident with the members of the opposition calling it an act of revenge by the BJP, with Akhilesh yadav calling it, Conceptual Emergency.
Was it an act against the freedom of speech and rights of the press, or an action against the foreign influence on such abroad based news outlets, still remains unclear.
Report by Dibyam Kumar
Graphics by Sanskar Dubey
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