Income Tax raids at Dainik Bhaskar group premises across multiple locations; Opposition slams Centre

Dainik Bhaskar Group is a popular Hindi newspaper in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Income Tax Department today conducted raids across the offices of the Dainik Bhaskar newspaper group over an alleged tax evasion case. The tax raids were carried out at multiple locations including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. The department also raided the Dainik Bhaskar group’s promoter’s residence and offices.

More details are awaited.

According to reports, IT raids were also conducted at the offices of Bharat Samachar in Uttar Pradesh.

“Modi-Shah’s attack on journalism!! Modi-Shah’s only weapon is IT, ED, CBI! I am sure the Agarwal brothers will not be afraid. Raid by Income Tax Investigation Wing has started at various locations of Dainik Bhaskar. Income Tax team is present at half a dozen places including Press Complex,” said Singh.

पत्रकारिता पर मोदीशाह का प्रहार!! मोदीशाह का एक मात्र हथियार IT ED CBI!
मुझे विश्वास है अग्रवाल बंधु डरेंगे नहीं।

दैनिक भास्कर के विभिन्न ठिकानों पर इनकम टैक्स इन्वेस्टिगेशन विंग की छापामार कार्रवाई शुरू…

प्रेस कॉन्प्लेक्स सहित आधा दर्जन स्थानों पर मौजूद है इनकम टैक्स की टीम

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 22, 2021

Hitting out at the Centre, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said, “IT raids on Dainik Bhaskar offices & promoter homes – post their reporting on devastation of 2nd Covid wave. If you don’t crawl like GodiMedia then pay price!” she said in a tweet.

IT raids on Dainik Bhaskar offices & promoter homes – post their reporting on devastation of 2nd Covid wave.

If you don’t crawl like GodiMedia then pay price!

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 22, 2021

CPI(M) Leader Kavita Krishnan said that it was expected given the group’s coverage of COVID-19 and Pegasus report.

“Here it is, as expected – IT Raids at the offices all over India of Dainik Bhaskar – the Hindi paper that gave front-page coverage to the Covid-19 second wave & oxygen shortage, and is now doing the same for the Pegasus Project. Modi and Shah are quite shameless and blatant bullies,” said Krishnan.

Notably, the Dainik Bhaskar group has done extensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic even during the second wave. It has also been reporting aggressively on the Pegasus row.