Mumbai: In his remand application seeking the arrest of former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) CEO Partho Dasgupta, Mumbai Police said that Arnab Goswami of Republic TV has rigged the channel’s TRP since Dasgupta launched in 2017 Had to pay for
On Monday, a metropolitan court extended Dasgupta’s police custody to 30 December. He was arrested on 24 December.
Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vej, who is investigating the TRP scam, claimed that the police had received several payments. “In 2017, Goswami paid him US $ 6,000 in a star hotel in Lower Parel and organized a trip to Switzerland and Denmark for Dasgupta and his family; In 2018, he paid Rs 20 lakh in cash; And in 2019, he paid Rs 10 lakh to a hotel near the airport.
The crime branch of the city police is investigating the TRP manipulation scam, where viewership of some channels was artificially inflated by bribing those involved in the process. BARC India measures the viewership of TV channels, which is important for broadcasters to decide on advertising.
Waze said that when Goswami launched Republic TV in 2017, he sought Dasgupta’s help in manipulating ratings and moved the channel to the No. 1 slot. They had known each other since 2004, Wedge said.
The remand application stated that Dasgupta used the metrology analysis division of BARC to manipulate TRPs – the viewership of TV channels.
“Those who helped Dasgupta in his office were rewarded with cash, gifts and promotions. Initially, they adopted a simple modus operandi, in which during BARC sampling, the raw data collected was edited and fed to obtain a favorable output. ‘Veg claimed that Dasgupta told the police that he had invested the money in immovable properties as well as jewelry. Police have seized Dasgupta’s laptop, cellphone, a watch and silver jewelery.