BBC India employees asked not to delete any data as I-T ‘survey’ enters Day 3

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Income Tax-related surveys at British public broadcaster BBC’s India offices continued for the third day and employees working with the media house were asked not to “delete” any data until it is on, sources said.

The sources added they are also asked to appear whenever called by IT officials for investigation. “Yesterday BBC employees were allowed to go home as they wanted to take rest. They came back today and joined the investigation,” the sources added.

The Income Tax department’s ongoing survey at BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai is in view of its “deliberate non-compliance” with the Transfer Pricing Rules and its vast diversion of profits said sources. It is learnt that the tax officials are conducting verification of certain account documents in the finance department of the BBC offices.

BBC News too said it was cooperating with the Income Tax department, which is conducting a survey at its offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. “The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating,” the BBC News Press Team said in a statement on the first day of the survey.

Pertinent to mention, the development comes weeks after the BBC released a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi – ‘India: The Modi Question,” which caused controversy.

The Centre had issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi. The Supreme Court had on February 3 directed the central government to produce original records relating to its decision to block the BBC documentary.