Detailed info will be given soon: Anurag Thakur after IT surveys at BBC offices

Thane (Maharashtra), February 14: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday reacted to the 'survey' at BBC offices at Delhi and Mumbai offices by I-T officials and said that the Income Tax department would give detailed information regarding this.

"The Income Tax Dept conducts surveys from time to time where irregularities are found, and when the survey is completed, they give information by a press note or press briefing. And I think when this survey of IT is completed, they will give you all that information in detail," he said.

Income Tax officials arrived at the BBC offices on KG Marg in the national capital earlier this morning for the survey. The British broadcaster's office in Kalina Santacruz, Mumbai, was also surveyed, according to sources, who added that the survey was limited to BBC business premises only.

A team of IT officials arrived at the BBC Studios office in Kalina Santacruz around 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday.

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Moreover, according to information received, tax officials also conducted verification of certain account documents in the finance department of the BBC offices.

The Income Tax team confiscated the mobile phones of all employees present at the BBC office during the investigation. The computer data stored in the accounts and finance department was also scanned. According to sources, the devices will be returned to their owners after a backup is made.

However, while the survey was being conducted, the British public broadcaster BBC News issued a statement stating that it is 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.

The searches come just weeks after the BBC aired "India: The Modi Question," a documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi that sparked outrage on January 21. The Centre had issued orders to block multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts that shared links to the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Modi. On February 3, the Supreme Court ordered the central government to produce original records relating to its decision to block the BBC documentary.