New Delhi: The ‘survey’ being conducted by the Income Tax (I-T) Department at BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai offices since Tuesday morning are expected to continue through the night till Wednesday morning, sources aware of the developments said.
No official reaction on the development has come from the I-T department or the Finance Ministry till the filing of this report.
I-T officials are said to have seized phones and laptops from the staffers in the broadcaster’s offices, according to reports.
The ‘survey’ came weeks after a two-part documentary by the BBC on the 2002 Gujarat riots had created furore across the country.
As per reports, the I-T department officials are learnt to be probing tax details of the UK’s national broadcaster pertaining to the past few years.
“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 had tweeted on Tuesday afternoon.
Employees were allowed to leave six hours after the searches began, only after their laptops had been scanned, reports quoting sources said.
–IANS