MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2023) India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) of the Financial Intelligence Unit is investigating a case against BBC India on alleged foreign exchange violations after the latter broadcast a documentary criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January, The Indian Express news agency reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The case was registered in late March and so far six employees, including one of the directors at the BBC India, have been questioned, the report said.
"Today, they have called another employee of BBC along with some documents and questioning is still going on," an official was quoted as saying by the news agency.
The report added that the ED had requested the documents and recordings of the company executives' statements under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
In February, the Indian Income Tax Department conducted searches at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. The representatives of the tax department were reportedly making copies of the organization's electronic and paper financial reports, as well as copying information from a number of computers and mobile phones.
In January, the BBC broadcast a documentary titled "India: The Modi Question." The film is based on an unpublished Foreign Office report received by the BBC, which questions Modi's actions during the 2002 riots in the state of Gujarat that resulted in almost 800 deaths of Muslims and 250 deaths of Hindus. During that time, Modi served as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The Indian Foreign Ministry labeled the film "hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage" with a "colonial mind-set." The ministry of information ordered a block of fragments of the documentary on YouTube and Twitter.
