India wraps up 'survey' at BBC offices after 3 days

The marathon "survey" by India's Income Tax Department at BBC's offices in Delhi and Mumbai was wrapped up last night after more than three days as tax officials prepared an inventory of financial data from select staffers and collected digital and paper documents.

The survey operation, which had begun at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices at around 11:30am on Tuesday, lasted for nearly sixty hours, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting ITD sources.

The tax officials have made an inventory of the available stock, recorded the statement of some staffers and took possession of some documents as part of the survey carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, officials said.

The action by the income tax authorities came soon after the BBC aired a documentary on the 2002 riots in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was the state chief minister.

The income tax "survey" has kicked off a political standoff between the opposition parties which denounced it as an "attempt" to intimidate the media and ruling BJP hitting back at the BBC accusing it of being "anti-India."

Income tax officials said the survey was carried out following the BBC's "deliberate non-compliance" with the transfer pricing rules and "diversion of profits" despite repeated reminders.