I-T department raids Dainik Bhaskar group; govt denies interference

Raids also at Bharat Samachar offices

The Income Tax (I-T) 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, sources said.

The raids against the multi-media Dainik Bhaskar group — which has presence in 12 states and runs newspapers as well as operates 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.

There was no official word from the I-T department or its policy-making body, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), on the searches targeting the promoters and staffers of Dainik Bhaskar, and Bharat Samachar.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha. It also came in for wide condemnation from several leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot, and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal. “Agencies are doing their own work and there is no interference in them,” Union minister Anurag Thakur said in response to the criticism. “… one should take complete information and sometimes many issues come up that are far from truth...,” he said, replying to a question on the Congress’ allegation that the raids were intended to throttle the voice of democracy. 

Both Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar have been critical of the Covid-19 management in the country and done stories highlighting the failings of authorities and the distress of people during the second wave of the pandemic.

Giving details of the searches, sources said the premises of Bharat Samachar and its promoters and staffers were raided in Lucknow.

Bharat Samachar TV said on its official Twitter handle that searches are being conducted at the “house of its Editor-in-chief Brajesh Mishra, state head Virendra Singh, houses of some empl­oyees and the channel office”.

Tax sleuths also raided some premises linked to BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Harraiya assembly seat Ajay Singh and his associates. It was, however, not immediately clear if the raids were connected to the media groups.

In Bhopal, personnel of the CRPF and the Madhya Pradesh police were seen providing security to tax officials searching the residential premises of Dainik Bha­skar’s promoters.

The group brings out 65 editions of newspapers and 211 sub-editions in Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, according to information provided on the website of its parent company D B Corp. It also operates 30 radio stations in seven states and has online presence with six web portals and four mobile phone apps.

Dainik Bhaskar posted a message on its website saying the government was scared of its true journalism. From bodies in the Ganga to Covid deaths, the group that brought the real numbers in front of the country is being raided by the government, it said in a message in Hindi. 

“I am independent because I am Bhaskar, Only the readers’ will matters in Bhaskar,” it added.

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