Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 17: The income tax inspectors left the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday night, after a three-day investigation that entailed searching through files and copying data from some digital devices. The UK national broadcaster confirmed the news on Twitter and stated that they will keep working with the authorities.
“The income tax authorities have left our offices in Delhi and Mumbai. We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and hope matters are resolved as soon as possible,” BBC said in a statement.
“We are supporting staff – some of whom have faced lengthy questioning or been required to stay overnight – and their welfare is our priority. Our output is back to normal and we remain committed to serving our audiences in India and beyond.The BBC is a trusted, independent media organisation and we stand by our colleagues and journalists who will continue to report without fear or favour,” it added.
Around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, a group of tax department representatives visited the BBC premises. According to sources, the probe was related to problems with BBC subsidiary firms’ foreign taxation.
Certain employees were asked for financial information, and the officers copied physical and electronic records from the news organisation. The BBC ordered its staff members not to erase any data from their electronic devices while the survey teams gathered evidence.
Opposition leaders condemned the searches at the BBC offices.
Notably, this survey came weeks after a massive controversy over BBC’s documentary on PM Modi and the deadly sectarian riots in Gujarat in 2002.
