The Indian income tax department's "survey" at the BBC's offices in New Delhi and Mumbai entered the third day today as tax officials examined the media outlet's financial transactions data and sought explanations from select staffers, officials said.

The tax officials are speaking to select BBC staffers in the finance and some other departments even as journalists were allowed to move in and out of the office on Tuesday and Wednesday, the officials added.

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BBC says 'cooperating' with tax authorities at its India offices

They said the "survey" would continue for some more time, adding that the "exact time frame to complete the operation rests entirely on the teams on the ground".

The income tax department's action to probe issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC's subsidiary companies, had begun on Tuesday morning at the broadcaster's Delhi and Mumbai offices along with at least two linked premises as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion.

Officials said the survey teams are seeking answers on financial transactions, the company's structure and other details about the media outlet and are copying data from electronic gadgets as part of their task of collecting the evidence.

The survey operation has triggered a war of words between ruling BJP and opposition parties and has come under fire from media bodies.