New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has raided the media group Dainik Bhaskar's premises across several locations in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. The group is being accused of tax evasion.
The Hindi daily's office premises, as well as the residence of the owners, are being searched. Dainik Bhaskar group MD Sudhir Agrawal's house is also being searched. The local police are also assisting the income tax department. The large-scale raid is covering half a dozen properties including the Press Complex.
The phones of all the employees present in the offices have been confiscated. No one is allowed to leave the premises. The digital team of the newspaper has been asked to work from home.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has not issued an official statement regarding the matter. It is rumoured to be in a joint operation with the Enforcement Directorate. Tax officials confirmed that the raids are underway, reported The Indian Express.
Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh tweeted that the popular media group is paying the price for "exposing the monumental mismanagement of the Covid pandemic by the Modi government".
The media group had recently done a series of stories on the dead bodies found floating on the river Ganga during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.