data-ad-slot="9425612987"
data-ad-format="auto">
On the afternoon of 14 February, a large crowd had formed
outside the British Broadcasting Corporation’s
Kasturba Gandhi Marg office in Delhi. Late that morning, around
fifty Income Tax and Delhi Police officials had entered the
building, confiscated the phones of journalists, and begun a search
of their computers. IT officials conducted a simultaneous search on
the BBC’s Mumbai office. A handful of police
officers in civilian attire also remained outside the
BBC’s Delhi office. Several media organisations
quoted anonymous “sources†to say
that the IT department was conducting an income tax
“survey.â€
The United States has made a public statement about the income
tax raids at BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi. State Department
Spokesperson Ned Price told the media that the US is aware of the
survey operation conducted by the I-T department at the BBC office
in Delhi but is not in a position to offer its judgment.
Dozens of employees were held in their offices for hours by
officials from the income tax department on Tuesday.
“The Income Tax Authorities remain at the BBC
offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. Many staff have now left the
building, but some have been asked to remain and are continuing to
cooperate with the ongoing enquiries†said BBC news in
a tweet late on Tuesday evening.