Mumbai police file charge sheet in TRP manipulation case

Three channels have been accused of distorting the system used by Broadcast Audience Research Council

According to Mumbai Police, channels were manipulating TRPs and distorting the system used by Broadcast Audience Research Council to rate television channels. Representational image

The Mumbai Crime Branch on Tuesday filed the charge sheet in the alleged Television Rating Point (TRP) manipulation case before the Esplanade magistrate court.

Explained: TRP and its loopholes

On October 8, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said a TRP racket had been busted, which involved Republic TV, Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi.

He said the channels were manipulating TRPs and distorting the system used by

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to rate television channels. As many as 2,000 barometers are installed in Mumbai to monitor TRPs, and BARC has given a confidential contract for monitoring these barometers.

The accused are chief financial officer S. Sundaram, head of the western region distribution Ghanshyam Singh, editor-in-chief of Republic TV Arnab Goswami and chief executive officer Vikas Khanchandani. Meanwhile, Priya Mukarjee, C.O.O of ARG Outlier Private Limited, filed for anticipatory bail before a Karnataka court.

Meanwhile, another accused Umesh Mishra, who was involved in paying people for keeping certain TV channels on, turned approver.

Mumbai’s city civil and sessions court granted bail to Shirish Pattanshetty, owner of the channel Fakt Marathi.