NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department searched media baron Raghav Bahl’s house and office on Thursday in a case of alleged tax evasion. According to officials, “The Quint founder’s premises in Noida were raided for documents related to a case of “bogus long-term capital gains (LTCG) received by various beneficiaries.”
The Editors Guild of India condemned the IT department’s search and said it would undermine the freedom of Press and the government should not engage in such measures. The human rights watchdog Amnesty International India also condemned the raids.
“The Income Tax Department’s search on Quintillion Media Private Ltd, which runs a news website The Quint, and the homes of its owners, Raghav Bahl and Ritu Kapoor, indicates a clampdown on free Press,” Amnesty International India said in a statement.
“It raises disturbing questions on whether the news website is being targeted for speaking the truth to power. It appears that the authorities are attempting to silence anyone expressing views that are critical of the government,” it said. Bahl had shared his concern with the Editors Guild of India as he is a member of the executive committee of the guild and a founder of the Network18 media group.
The guild said it was perturbed over Bahl’s statement that he had to “strongly advise” the tax officials that they should not try and pick up or see any other mail or document which is likely to contain very serious and sensitive journalistic material, the guild said in a statement.
“If they do that, then we shall seek extremely strong recourse,” Bahl has said, according to the guild’s statement.