Income Tax department conducts searches at premises of Bhaskar group

Ahmedabad: The Income Tax department has conducted searches at the premises of Dainik Bhaskar Media Group and Uttar Pradesh-based Hindi news channel Bharat Samachar on charges of tax evasion.

Government sources said names of people from Bhaskar group was mentioned in the Panama paper leak and were found to be doing related party transactions. A trail of investments from dubious companies and transactions with shell companies were found, one person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named.

The searches in the case of Bhaskar Group are conducted in Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad (Divya Bhaskar office) and some other locations in the country. Searches were underway in connection at multiple locations including Promoters’ residences and offices, ANI reported citing sources.

The premises of TV news channel Bharat Samachar group and its promoters and staffers in Lucknow were similarly searched, they said.

I&B Minister Anurag Thakur in cabinet briefing on newspaper raids: “Enforcement agencies do their job. We don’t interfere. One should be aware of all the facts before commenting”. He was asked on Congress remarks on Dainik Jagran raids. This was his response.