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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday 'visited' Nokia's facility at Sripermbudur near Chennai. The development comes when Microsoft is in the process of completing the acquisition of Nokia, including its Chennai facility.
While several attempts to reach to the additional director-general in Chennai failed, Nokia India's spokesperson confirmed the development.
"Nokia can confirm its Indian facilities were visited by the DRI on Wednesday. Nokia extended its full cooperation to the authorities, duly responding to all queries and extending its full support to help them during their visit".
A Nokia official said it was not a raid since no warrant had been issued. It was just a 'visit'. Both the spokesperson and the official refused to share any details.
The factory, the largest for the company in the world, last year was caught in a legal battle between Nokia and the income-tax department over alleged tax evasion.
The assets of Nokia, including the factory, were frozen leaving uncertainty around the transfer of the factory to Microsoft.
However, a court allowed Nokia to transfer the factory and other assets with certain conditions.
In September, Microsoft had entered an agreement with Nokia to acquire its mobile device business without conditions in a $7.3-billion deal. Microsoft agreed to buy Nokia's mobile phone business, including the brand and manufacturing facilities. It is expected Nokia's devices and services businesses will be part of Microsoft by the end of the quarter ending March.
With inputs from Nayanima Basu
