I-T raids on major Hindi daily critical of Covid handling

Security personnel stand guard at the residence of Sudhir Agarwal, the owner of Dainik Bhaskar Group, after raids, in Bhopal. Pic/PTI

The Income Tax Department on Thursday conducted raids across several states against prominent media group Dainik Bhaskar as well as Uttar Pradesh-based TV channel Bharat Samachar for alleged tax evasion, drawing a sharp response from several quarters.

The raids against the multi-media Dainik Bhaskar group - which has presence in 12 states and runs newspapers as well as radio stations, web portals and mobile phone apps - were taking place in 30 locations, including Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Noida, sources said. The searches started around 5.30 am and were going on till evening.

"The group is also involved in textiles and mining businesses and the department is also looking into these transactions," an official said on condition of anonymity. Tax sleuths also raided some premises linked to BJP MLA from UP's Harraiya Ajay Singh and his associates. It was, however, not immediately clear if the raids on him and the media groups were connected.

The two media groups have been critical of the Covid-19 management in the country and have done numerous stories highlighting failings of authorities and people's distress during the second wave of the pandemic that peaked in India in April-May. In several reports, Bhaskar had highlighted the discovery of thousands of bodies in Ganga and on its banks during the second wave; the shortage of oxygen across country and deaths because of that; incidents of state government hiding Covid-19 deaths; unemployment and many more.

After the raid started, Dainik Bhaskar posted a message on its website, saying the government raids have come against it as it put out the "true picture of the government's inefficiency before the country during the second wave of Covid-19."

It said the raids were carried out at residences of many staffers, they seized the mobile phones of those present in the offices and they were not being allowed to go out. "Officials involved in the raids said this was part of the process and they will be released after panchmana proceedings are done," it said.

It said the tax teams had no women members as it raided its Bhopal and Ahmedabad digital wing offices where female staffers were present. It said the digital team working on the night shift was released at 12.30 pm.

Senior income tax officers in the team have not clarified the reason for these searches till now, it said.

‘Suppressing fourth pillar of democracy'

Kamal Nath, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief
‘An attempt is being made to suppress the fourth pillar of democracy and to prevent truth from coming out'

Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary
‘Trying to muzzle the truth from surfacing. But like dead bodies floating in Ganga, Modi government can't hide'

Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan chief minister
‘This is the fascist mentality of BJP which doesn't like to see the mirror of truth'

Anurag Thakur, Union minister
‘They are doing their work and there is no interference'

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