BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai office premises were searched by the Income Tax department Tuesday, February 14, 2023. A team of 24 IT staff conducted a raid in Delhi. There are a total of four teams, of which one team includes 6 I-T people.
The IT department’s raid comes amid the controversy surrounding a BBC documentary on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources told news agency ANI, “Income tax officials reached BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai offices today.
Aaj Tak News Live
“They are doing verification of certain documents in the Account of Finance Department of the BBC. Department has impounded a few mobile phones and laptops/desktops of persons of the account and finance departments.”
According to reports, its Mumbai office was also raided simultaneously. During the investigation, the IT team took the mobile phones of all the employees in the BBC office. And no person was allowed to go out.
Amit Shah criticizes BBC documentary
Notably, a few hours before the raid Union Home Minister Amit Shah had criticized the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. “The truth emerges despite a thousand conspiracies around it. They have been after Modi since 2002. But every time, Modi Ji comes out stronger & more popular,” Shah had said.
BBC documentary on PM Modi 'completely exaggerated', 'a hatchet job', Poor Journalism.
– UK MP Bob Blackman pic.twitter.com/QOsgEh8ok3
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) February 14, 2023
Sources said that the income tax team has reached out for verification of a few documents.
On January 21, the government approved blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Outside the BBC HQs in New Delhi as the Income Tax raid/survey continues. pic.twitter.com/R2R32K1RKO
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) February 14, 2023
The Indian Supreme Court had on February 3 also directed the central government to produce original records relating to its decision to block the BBC documentary.
