I-T 'survey' operations at BBC offices continues for 3rd day

News Network
February 16, 2023

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New Delhi, Feb 16: The Income Tax department's 'survey' at the BBC office in New Delhi continued for the third straight day on Thursday as officials gathered financial data from select staffers and made copies of electronic and paper data of the news organisation.

The operation that began at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai around 11:30 am on Tuesday has clocked more than 45 hours now, officials said.

The survey is going on, they added.

Authorities had said on Wednesday that the exercise would continue for some more time, saying the "exact time frame to call the operation closed rests entirely on the teams on the ground".

The survey is being carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, officials have said.

The survey teams are seeking answers on financial transactions, the company structure and other details about the news company, and are copying data from electronic gadgets as part of their task of collecting the evidence, tax officials had said.

Opposition parties have denounced the I-T department action against the London-headquartered public broadcaster, terming it "political vendetta".

On Tuesday, the ruling BJP had accused the BBC of "venomous reporting" while the Opposition had questioned the timing of the action that came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary "India: The Modi Question" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

While there has been no official statement from the Income Tax department on the action, the BBC has said it was cooperating with the authorities.

A BBC staffer in Delhi said they were broadcasting their news like usual.

The Supreme Court last week dismissed a plea seeking the imposition of a complete ban on the BBC in India in the wake of the controversial documentary, terming the petition "entirely misconceived" and "absolutely meritless".

Another set of petitions challenging the government's decision to block the documentary's access on social media platforms will be heard in April. 

On January 21, the government had issued directions to block multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the documentary. '

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News Network
October 17,2024

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Israeli media have revealed that a plan is underway to ethnically cleanse northern Gaza and kill any Palestinian who remains there.

Three Israeli reserve soldiers deployed to Gaza told Haaretz this week that they believe the “Generals’ Plan,” also known as the Eiland Plan, is being implemented.

“The goal is to give the residents who live north of the Netzarim area a deadline to move to the south of the Strip. After this date, whoever will remain in the north will be considered an enemy and will be killed,” a soldier stationed in the Netzarim Corridor was quoted as saying.

The soldier said the plan does not conform to any standard of international law. 

“People sat and wrote a systematic order with charts and an operational concept, at the end of which you shoot whoever isn’t willing to leave. The very existence of this idea is unfathomable.”

A second soldier said “the commanders say openly that the Eiland Plan is being promoted by the military.”

There are now signs that even if the policy has not been adopted by top military officials who are reportedly discussing it, the plan is already being carried out, the report said on Wednesday.  

Haaretz journalist Amos Harel wrote, "Ideas such as deliberately opening fire close to a population and even steps towards starving the inhabitants are being debated." 

Major international aid organizations have called on leaders and the international community to stop Israel’s forced displacement in northern Gaza.

“The Israeli forces’ assault on Gaza has escalated to a horrifying level of atrocity,” said organizations such as Oxfam, Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), ActionAid, Islamic Relief, Christian Aid and other UK-based charities on Tuesday.

“This is not an evacuation; this is forced displacement under gunfire. Since 1 October, no food has been allowed into the area, and civilians are being starved and bombed in their homes and their tents.”

Over the past 10 days, Israeli forces ordered hundreds of thousands of people to flee northern Gaza before launching a new offensive. 

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News Network
October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival. 

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News Network
October 22,2024

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Bengaluru, Oct 22: Heavy rainfall has once again turned Bengaluru’s streets into rivers, with large-scale waterlogging paralyzing India’s IT capital. As residents brace for more storms, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a day filled with thunderstorms, predicting minimum temperatures around 21°C.

"Bengaluru is expected to see a cloudy sky today, with light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms impacting both urban and rural regions," stated the IMD. The maximum temperature is likely to reach 29°C, while the minimum will hover at 21°C.

Waterlogged streets have significantly slowed down traffic, with major bottlenecks reported along Sarjapura Road near the Wipro and RBD Layout junctions, according to police reports.

The flooding has sparked fresh criticism from opposition parties, who have seized the opportunity to target the Congress-led state government’s handling of the city's infrastructure.

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