'Survey To Probe Issues Related to Int'l Taxation'
- New Delhi: The Income Tax department on Tuesday con- ducted survey operations for over ten hours at the BBC's offices in Delhi, Mumbai and two other linked locations as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion, officials said.
- The action, which sparked a sharp political debate with the ruling BJP accusing the BBC of "venomous reporting" and the opposition questioning the timing of the move, comes weeks after the broad- caster aired a two-part documentary, "India: The Modi Question", on the prime minister and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
- The survey is being carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, officials said. BBC had been served notices in the past but was "defiant and noncompliant" and had significantly di- verted its profits, they alleged.
- The department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the London-headquartered broad- caster and its Indian arms, they said.
- The BBC said it is fully cooperating with tax authorities. "The Income Tax authorities are currently at the offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible," the press office of the BBC said on Twitter:
- Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anu- rag Thakur said no one is above the law and the Income Tax department will share de- tails about the survey after it is over. The synchronized surprise action began at 11 am with Income Tax officials reaching the BBC offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Gurugram and one another premises and the operation continued till late evening. BBC staffers were asked to keep their phones at a particular spot inside the premises and cooperate, officials said. Besides, some computers were seized and mobile phones of some staff mem- bers were cloned, officials said.