I-T survey at BBC offices LIVE Updates: BBC under radar for long; defiant despite notices

Near midnight on Tuesday, BBC issued a statement saying, "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." 

"We are supporting our staff during the time and continue to hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible." 

"Our output and journalism continue as normal and we are committed to surveying our audiences in India," the BBC said. 

"The way they have influenced the agencies, it cannot be called fair at any cost. Now BBC has been attacked, the credibility of BBC is extra ordinary in the country and in the world, even today the people of the villages listen to the BBC and they say that, yes news has come in BBC," Gehlot said. 

इन्होंने एजेंसियों को जिस प्रकार से प्रभावित कर रखा है, किसी भी कीमत पर उचित नहीं कहा जा सकता। अब BBC पर हमला किया है, BBC की क्रेडिबिलिटी एक्स्ट्रा ऑर्डिनरी है देश में और दुनिया के अंदर, आज भी गांवों के लोग जो हैं वो बीबीसी सुनते हैं और ये कहते हैं कि, हां BBC में न्यूज आ गई। pic.twitter.com/ztAncCaRrh

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51)

According to Republic‘s sources, notices were earlier sent to the British Broadcaster BBC in order for the company to explain certain transfer pricing-related payments to the I-T department. It has also been learnt that the I-T department suspected tax evasion by claiming services and costs that were not incurred or suspected to be bogus in nature to save on taxes. 

It has been revealed that these alleged tax evasion runs into a few crores. Meanwhile, documents related to the company, pen drive and laptops have been seized by the I-T department.

Prima facie, it has been revealed that there are discrepancies in the transactions between the parent company and place of effective management (POEMs), Notably, POEMs are basically the subsidiaries of parent company. 

"The unprecedented actions taken by the I-T Dept at the BBC's Indian offices are highly questionable, raising concerns over media freedom. Infringement on press freedom is objectionable and can embarrass our nation on the international stage," said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Addressing the media, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, “Income Tax department conducts surveys from time to time where irregularities are found, and when survey is completed, they give information. When this survey of IT will be completed, we will give you all that information in detail.”

"This is very unfortunate. Democracy is already under threat here and media is being suppressed and this raid on BBC is linked to this. Everyone thinks that this is happening because they (BBC) released that documentary and they are being targeted," said former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah. 

"We are closely monitoring reports of tax surveys conducted at the offices of the BBC in India," ANI reported citing its United Kingdom government sources.

विनाश काले विपरीत बुद्धि pic.twitter.com/bSFGHLjYOD

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh)

Slamming Centre over the ongoing searches at the BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the news of the BBC raid is a declaration of 'ideological emergency'.

BBC पर छापे की ख़बर ‘वैचारिक आपातकाल’ की घोषणा है। @BBCIndia

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh)

"I think it's for the first time in the 100 years of the history of BBC that they were raided merely for making a documentary on Gujarat showing all the sides. Won't this be a blot on PM Modi's international image?" questions Congress MP Digvijaya Singh.

Taking to Twitter, the Editors Guild of India said, "EGI is deeply concerned about the IT “surveys” being carried out at the offices of BBC India. Is distressed by the continuing trend of government agencies being used to intimidate and harass news organisations that are critical of ruling establishment."

EGI is deeply concerned about the IT “surveys” being carried out at the offices of BBC India. Is distressed by the continuing trend of government agencies being used to intimidate and harass news organisations that are critical of ruling establishment. pic.twitter.com/hM7ZkrdOiq

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild)

Republic TV on Tuesday accessed the exclusive visuals from inside the BBC office in Mumbai. As per the visuals, police officials were seen inside the premises of the broadcaster’s office as the I-T officials were conducting the searches.

Meanwhile, sources suggested that the finance department of the company is under the scanner of the I-T department. Read here

"Cause & effect of raids on the BBC Office is quite obvious. GOI is brazenly hounding those who speak the truth. Be it opposition leaders, media, activists or anyone else for that matter. The gloves are off & there is a price one pays for fighting for truth", PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted. 

"Time and again, there has been an assault on freedom of Press under Modi Govt. This is done with brazen & unapologetic vengeance to strangulate remotely critical voices," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted. "No Democracy can survive if institutions are used to attack Opposition & Media. People WILL resist this."

Time and again, there has been an assault on freedom of Press under Modi Govt.

This is done with brazen & unapologetic vengeance to strangulate remotely critical voices.

No Democracy can survive if institutions are used to attack Opposition & Media.

People WILL resist this.

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge)

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh attacked the Modi government over the I-T surveys that is being carried out in BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai. The grand old party also said that this an "unannounced emergency".

यहां हम अडानी के मामले में JPC की मांग कर रहे हैं और वहां सरकार BBC के पीछे पड़ी हुई है।

'विनाशकाले विपरीत बुद्धि'

: @Jairam_Ramesh जी pic.twitter.com/PvQ57tMTVP

— Congress (@INCIndia)

The Income Tax (I-T) Department is carrying out surveys at the Delhi and Mumbai offices of the British broadcaster BBC as part of a tax evasion investigation. In an official statement, the I-T Department said, "The Income Authorities conducted a survey on the BBC premises in Delhi, in view of the BBC’s deliberate non-compliance with the Transfer Pricing Rules and its vast diversion of profits." 

It also clarified that the exercise conducted by the tax authorities is called “survey”, and is not a search or a raid as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act. The agency further said that 'such surveys are routinely conducted and are not to be confused to be in the nature of a search/raid'.

ANI shared pictures of BBC offices in Mumbai's Kalina, Santacruz and KG Marg in Delhi as the survey continues. 

Mumbai | Income Tax department surveys the BBC Studios office in Kalina, Santacruz, as per sources. pic.twitter.com/xlsAvnlIBG

— ANI (@ANI)

Income Tax department surveys the BBC office in Delhi, as per sources.

The BBC office is located on KG Marg. pic.twitter.com/8v6Wnp75JU

— ANI (@ANI)

BJP's spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia called BBC the most 'Bhrasht Bakwaas Corporation' in the world and said that the companies working in India will have to follow the rules and regulations of the country. "Income Tax department lawfully carried out raids at the BBC office. The IT department is no longer the 'cageed parrot' as the Supreme Court had said about government institutions during the Congress rule", he said during a press conference. 

#BBCGetsRaided | Don't be so afraid if you are following the law of the land and if you have nothing to hide: BJP's #GauravBhatia to #BBC while holding a news conference. pic.twitter.com/Em1s0peApy

— Republic (@republic)

"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 News Press team tweeted. 

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.

— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR)