Indian tax authorities have raided BBC’s New Delhi offices weeks following the airing of a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions during the deadly Gujrat riots in 2002.
Twelve police officers were stationed outside the office, which is located on two floors, and the facility was shut off to prevent anyone from entering or leaving.
An office-based BBC staffer informed AFP that the tax raid was ongoing and that officials were confiscating all phones.
An official said, “There is government procedure happening inside the office.”
Earlier last month in a two-part documentary the broadcaster claimed that Modi, who was the state’s premier at the time, had instructed police to ignore sectarian violence in Gujarat.
At least 1,000 individuals were killed in the unrest, the majority of them minority Muslims.
However, using emergency powers allowed by its information technology laws, the Indian government restricted videos and tweets that contained links to the documentary.
The documentary was denounced by government advisor Kanchan Gupta as “hostile propaganda and anti-India rubbish.”
