Mumbai, December 13
Mumbai police arrested Republic Media Network CEO Vikas Khanchandani on Sunday morning in connection with the alleged TRP (Television Rating Points) manipulation scam, an official said.
Khanchandani was arrested from his residence here by the police’s Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), he said.
In the afternoon, he was presented before a court of first instance here, which left him in police custody until December 15.
Although the police requested their preventive detention for 14 days to be questioned in the case, the court granted them only two days of their custody after hearing the defense attorney’s arguments.
The police launched an investigation into the alleged scam after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) rating agency filed a complaint through the Hansa Investigation Agency about manipulation of TRP by some channels.
TRP, measured by recording audience data in sample households, is crucial to attracting advertisers.
BARC hired Hansa to install and maintain barometers that record television audience data in sample homes.
It was alleged that some of these families were being bribed to tune in to certain channels and increase their PRT.
In a recently filed charge sheet, police alleged that a Hansa official paid money to sample homes to tune in to Box Cinema, Fakt Marathi, Maha Movie and Republic TV.
The Republic TV has denied any wrongdoing.
Police have arrested a total of 13 people in the case so far. PTI
