New Delhi: The Income Tax (IT) department conducted multiple raids in various offices of the media group Dainik Bhaskar on Thursday. The DB group has been accused of tax evasion, sources said.

According to media reports, the searches are being conducted in Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and some other locations in the country.

While there was no official statement from the department or the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), sources said the action also involves the promoters of the major Hindi media group with operations across multiple states.

One of the largest newspaper groups in the country, Dainik Bhaskar was at the forefront of reporting on the scale of devastation in the second wave of Covid in April-May. The newspaper had published a series of reports that scrutinised the official claims made during the pandemic as patients gasped for oxygen and death toll mounted across states.

An Uttar Pradesh television channel, Bharat Samachar has also been raided.