The Income Tax (I-T) department conducted survey operations on the premises of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday. The action was carried out as part of a tax evasion probe against the news organization.
According to sources, the survey operations began in the morning and continued for several hours. A team of officials from the I-T department visited the BBC offices and reportedly collected documents and other materials related to the news organization’s financial transactions.
“The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible,” the BBC said in a statement. While the search was underway, television news crews set up outside the office near Connaught Place, in central Delhi, to report developments.
The Supreme Court on Friday orally queried how can a documentary affect the country, as it junked a plea seeking a complete ban on BBC in India over its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allegations linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Senior advocate Pinky Anand, representing the petitioner, urged the bench to hear the petitioner and argued that the BBC was “deliberately maligning India’s image”.
The I-T department’s action comes after a complaint was filed against the BBC alleging tax evasion. The organization is being probed for alleged violations of the Income Tax Act and other tax laws. The department is also investigating whether the BBC has complied with tax laws related to payments made to freelancers and other vendors.
The BBC has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. However, sources within the organization have said that they are cooperating with the authorities and providing all necessary information to facilitate the investigation.
This is not the first time that the BBC has faced scrutiny over tax-related issues in India. In 2017, the I-T department had carried out a similar action against the news organization’s premises in Delhi. The department had then accused the BBC of allegedly evading taxes and concealing the identity of the beneficiaries of payments made to its employees in India.
The I-T department’s action against the BBC comes at a time when the Indian government is cracking down on tax evasion and financial irregularities. The government has been taking strict action against tax evaders and has also introduced several measures to promote transparency in financial transactions.
The I-T department’s survey action on the BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai premises is part of a tax evasion probe against the news organization. The department is investigating alleged violations of the Income Tax Act and other tax laws, and whether the organization has complied with tax laws related to payments made to freelancers and vendors. The action comes at a time when the Indian government is taking strict measures against tax evasion and promoting transparency in financial transactions.
