The affidavit further stated, “Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has confirmed” “suspicious activity with respect to (sic) the TV channels in which petitioner No. 2 (Arnab Goswami) is director ”. So far, the “prima facie investigation indicates collusion of BARC officials with others to manipulate ratings, ”he said. BARC India measures the audience of television channels.
The police requested the dismissal of the petition presented by Goswami and ARG Outlier (which operates the channel) to annul or transfer the investigation to CBI. Police said the petition cannot be upheld and should be dropped “at exemplary cost,” as neither ARG Outlier nor Goswami have yet been named defendants.
The lower court has learned of the crimes against the accused named in the charge sheet, police said. The ‘WhatsApp chats’ (between Goswami and former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta) that are part of the Nov. 24 charge sheet need further investigation and cannot be excluded through the petition, according to the affidavit. .
The affidavit of Assistant Police Commissioner Shashank Sandbhor also said that no material has been found indicating the guilt of the India Today television channel. “More investigations are under way with regard to many television channels, including India Today.”
The police alleged that Goswami “has been conducting debates on television channels owned by ARG Outlier” to bring unfounded charges against the Mumbai police and have a “trial with the media” to ensure that “they are given a clean account. “. Police said Goswami is giving the entire investigation a color of political revenge, when the facts would reveal otherwise. Police also denied that the arrest of Republic TV head of distribution Ghanshyam Singh was malicious. He is in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, at the hearing on Friday, the HC court of judges SS Shinde and Manish Pitale published the matter for hearing until February 12. State attorney Kapil Sibal said he would not take any enforcement action against the owners / operators of Republic TV.
Goswami’s attorney, Malvika Trivedi, said they had to respond to the arguments on the charge sheet and wanted a longer appointment. She said she was trying to record documents of “unimpeachable nature.”
The police also denied allegations that their investigation is “unfair, premeditated to corner the petitioners as defendants” or “frivolous or politically motivated”, or that “the ruling dispensation in Maharashtra started the criminal machine.” He denied that the case was an “attempt to muzzle the media.”
The transfer to CBI should be done “in moderation,” the SC has maintained, police said, adding that “6 percent of the bar-o-meters installed in India are in Mumbai and currently the TRP scam appears to be a localized scam “Mumbai Police have jurisdiction. A separate affidavit filed by Mumbai Police Chief Param Bir Singh denied as “totally unfounded” all accusations made against him by ARG Outlier and Goswami of prejudice, malice and malice.
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