I-T Dept surveys news portals in Delhi, tax evasion suspected

Box: Accounts under lens

I-T officials surveyed premises of Newsclick and Newslaundry in New Delhi

The operations were conducted to verify certain tax payments and remittances

Sources say their accounts are being examined on suspicion of tax evasion

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 10

Premises of two news websites — NewsClick and Newslaundry — were “surveyed” by the Income Tax Department here on Friday.

The operations at two separate locations were conducted to verify certain tax payment details and remittances made by the organisations, tax officials said, specifying that these were not “raids”.

Sources said there was suspicion of tax evasion and the accounts of the companies were being examined.

Some documents have been found and these are being studied, the officials said. There was no immediate reaction from the two portals or their promoters, but their social media handles continuously updated news stories and articles.

NewsClick and its founders were earlier raided by the Enforcement Directorate in February in a money laundering case following a Delhi Police FIR that alleged the company had received foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 9.59 crore from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, US, during 2018-19.

The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to NewsClick’s editor-in-chief and founder Prabir Purkayastha in this case. The court has also granted Purkayastha protection from coercive action in the ED case.