India’s tax officials were searching the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai for a third straight day on Thursday seeking information about the organization’s business operations amid allegations of tax evasion, as opposition political parties and other media organizations criticized the move as an attempt to intimidate the media.
Some news staff members were questioned overnight but the tax officials on Thursday restricted themselves to the company's business executives and their offices, said some staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to media.
The Indian tax department hasn’t so far issued any statement on what prompted the searches of the BBC offices since officials arrived there Tuesday morning. The survey is being carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, the agency said.
Reporters Without Borders, an international media watchdog, denounced the Indian government’s action as "attempts to clamp down on independent media."
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