India opens new investigation into BBC in widening crackdown

A source told Reuters on Thursday that India’s financial crime-fighting agency is investigating the BBC’s foreign exchange infractions months after tax officials inspected its Mumbai and Delhi offices.

The February tax raids followed a BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2002 Gujarat riot leadership. The rioting murdered 1,000 Muslims.

The ED is investigating under India’s Foreign Exchange Management Act. The source, who requested anonymity due to the delicacy of the topic, said the agency notified the BBC in March and questioned several employees this month.

Calls and texts to an ED representative went unanswered. Emails to the BBC went unanswered.

On its website, the ED investigates potential violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, a civil law, to “adjudicate and impose penalties” on individuals found guilty.

In March, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly discussed BBC tax searches with his Indian colleague in New Delhi.

Protests outside the Indian High Commission in London last month strained relations between India and Britain, who are negotiating a delayed free-trade pact.

Following a “breach of security” at the High Commission, India requested tighter monitoring of UK-based Sikh separatists on Wednesday. This week, the British government announced it will “review security and make changes to ensure the safety of its staff”.