Income Tax department raids Dainik Bhaskar, Bharat Samachar's offices at multiple locations

The Income Tax department is conducting searches against two prominent media group houses Dainik Bhaskar's and Uttar Pradesh-based Hindi news channel Bharat Samachar's offices on charges of tax evasion.

The searches in the case of Dainik Bhaskar are being conducted in Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and some other locations in the country. Searches are going on in connection with a tax evasion case, at multiple locations including Promoters' residences and offices according to sources.

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

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for an hour on Thursday after opposition members tried to raise the issues of income tax raids on the newspaper group Dainik Bhaskar.

Earlier, the two media groups had published a series of stories critical of the COVID-19 management and deaths in the second wave of the pandemic and the bodies dumped in the Ganga river that was found floating the river while some washed up on the banks of the river in Uttar Pradesh.