Income Tax (IT) department on Friday raided the offices of news media organisations NewsClick and Newslaundry.
A media report quoted unnamed officials as saying that they were conducting separate “survey operations”.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The officials have been further quoted as saying that they were covering the business premises of the two portals.
They said the operations are being conducted to verify certain tax payment details and remittances made by the organisations.
A Wire report quoted a senior NewsClick employee, who is working from home, as saying that there was a search and seizure order so the phones of all the persons present inside the office were seized which made it difficult to get information.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Also read: Income Tax department dragnet in Northeast leads to huge cash haul
According to reports, around 6-7 persons from the Income Tax department reached the office around 12 noon.
At the time of filing the news, the raid was being carried out only at one office of Newslaundry.
A Newslaundry employee told The Wire that the organisations financial records are being checked.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in February this year, raided the NewsClick office as well as the homes of its editors in connection with allegations of money laundering.
The raid by ED was condemned by several media organisations and it was termed as an attempt to silence critical journalism.
After the raid, the portal moved Delhi High Court and the court granted them interim relief in the ED case.