New Delhi 14 Feb(Agencies) :The Income Tax Department is conducting verification at multiple British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices, an agency official said on Tuesday. The exact contour of the survey are unknown yet. More details are awaited. 

“There’s income tax raid in office, they’re confiscating all phones,” a BBC journalist was quoted as saying by AFP .

The surprise action comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and India. In January 2023, the British broadcaster released a two-part docu-series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, titled, “India: The Modi Question”. The series was not broadcasted in India.

The department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the company and those related to its Indian arm, the officials said. As part of a survey, the Income Tax Department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.

Meanwhile, earlier today Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the government is after the BBC instead of accepting an Opposition demand on a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Adani-Hindenburg matter.

“We are demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Adani matter and the government is behind BBC,” said Mr. Ramesh.