Arnab Goswami’s difficulties in the fake TRP case are increasing, the sword of arrest is hanging over him. While investigating this case, the Crime Intelligence Unit has accused Arnab of bribing him in the fort court on Monday . The Mumbai Police has issued a remand note stating that the police have found in the investigation that Arnab Goswami, former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council, Partho Dasgupta, has made a mistake in rating. Had given lakhs of rupees. In return, the TRPs of Republic India and Republic TV were increased.
The crime branch sought a magistrate’s court extension of Dasgupta’s custody, which the court extended to the custody until December 30. Police claimed that Das is the mastermind of the TRP scam. He and other accused tampered TRPs of select news channels for financial gain. Police claim that former BARO COO Romil Ramgarhia, along with Dasgupta, manipulated the TRP of some channels.
The CIU told the court that Parth Dasgupta had to investigate what Parth Dasgupta had bought from Arnab’s given money and seized the goods as well, so CIU asked for more custody of Parth Dasgupta from the court. The court sent Dasgupta to CIU custody by 30 December. CIU also told the court that it has also seized two mobile phones, a laptop and an iPad from Dasgupta. They are also being investigated. The FIR in the fake TRP case was registered on 6 October. Since then, Republic and many other TV channels are under investigation, but in this case, the Mumbai Crime Branch has officially named Arnab Goswami for the first time.
In its note, the police also said that Dasgupta – who was arrested last week, was the “mastermind” in the case and was misrepresenting viewership and data for financial gain. The police have claimed to have increased the custody of the former CEO further. From which it can be ascertained whether such further payments were made.
Police have alleged that Dasgupta and another senior BARC official – former COO Romil Ramgarhia “used to provide secret and confidential information of some channels” to increase the TRP of Republic TV’s English and Hindi channels.