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NEW DELHI: According to sources, as the Income Tax department's "survey" reached its third day on Thursday, at least 10 top personnel of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Delhi had not left for the home since the operation was initiated at their Indian offices.
A few weeks after the broadcaster aired the two-part documentary "India: The Modi Question" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots, officials copied papers from the news organization and collected financial information from staff members.
An employee of the BBC in Delhi claimed that several staffers were working from home and that the news was being carried as usual. According to sources, the investigation, which started at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai at about 11:30 am on Tuesday, has lasted more than 45 hours.
The drill was expected to last for a little longer, according to authorities, who stated that the "precise time frame to deem the operation closed relies solely on the teams on the ground." According to officials, the poll is being conducted to look at concerns with international taxation and how money is transported between various subsidiaries of a multinational firm.
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.
In response to the PM Modi documentary, opposition parties have condemned the tax department's move against the public broadcaster with its headquarters in London and called it a "political vendetta." The BBC has been branded "most corrupt" and guilty of "venomous reportage," according to the ruling BJP. Although the Income Tax Agency has not released an official comment regarding the incident, the BBC has stated that it is working with law enforcement.
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