picture source: https://www.republicworld.com/
MUMBAI:
No evidence was found against Republic TV in the alleged TRP rigging scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed in its charge sheet filed before a special court here.
The Mumbai police’s probe in this respect was “at variance with its probe, the central agency said in the charge sheet.
At the same time, the ED also said that it found evidence that some regional and entertainment channels were involved in manipulating Television Rating Points (TRP) by paying sample or `panel’ households.
Judge M G Deshpande of the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court here took cognizance of the charge sheet on Wednesday.
The ED filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to a police FIR, in November 2020.
BIG BREAKING NEWS: #FinalTRPReport submitted in court.
— Republic (@republic) September 21, 2022
The report will reveal the truth about the TRP scam.
Tune in to watch #LIVE as the Nation holds its breath here – https://t.co/9TE7xxQbRQ pic.twitter.com/D5A5767L39
The ECIR followed the First Information Report registered by Mumbai Police against Republic TV, two Marathi channels and a few individuals for alleged TRP manipulation.
The scam came to light when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group.
The ED charge sheet said there was a wider conspiracy between channel viewers, agents and regional managers to influence/induce panel households to watch certain channels for monetary gains.
TRP is dependent on small statistical data of nearly 1800 households in Mumbai and 45000 households all over India, it noted.
The #FinalTRPReport has been submitted in court.
— Republic (@republic) September 21, 2022
Arnab is #LIVE on Republic with the Nation on edge.
Who is in the #FinalTRPReport?
Write in with the hashtag and watch #LIVE here – https://t.co/9TE7xxQbRQ pic.twitter.com/0jjsJTtXmp
It is very difficult to pinpoint when the manipulation started, but various channel owners manipulated the system for a considerable period of time, it said.
Channels such as Maha Movies, Box Cinema, Fakt Marathi and others entered into a criminal conspiracy with Bompalli Mistry, a former top executive of Hansa group in the garb of a cable reach survey, it said.
The alleged role of Republic TV (ArG Outliers) in bribing/influencing panel households to watch republic TV or Republic Bharat channels was probed thoroughly. It then became evident that the investigation done by Mumbai police was at variance with the investigation done by the ED, the charge sheet said.
The panel households denied having taken money for watching Republic TV or Republic Bharat, it said.
It’s time for the truth!#FinalTRPReport submitted in court, details still awaited. The Nation wants to know who’s in it.
— Republic (@republic) September 21, 2022
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Regional managers who confessed to paying household panels to watch select television channels denied doing the same for Republic TV, the charge sheet said.
No evidence of Republic TV or Republic Bharat indulging in these practises was forthcoming “either by the statement or by digital data evidence,” it added.
The forensic audit report relied upon by Mumbai police was superficial and based on the analysis of limited aspects”, the charge sheet said.
Mahesh Bompalli had complete knowledge of the manipulation of TRP in respect of channels like Box cinema and Fakt Marathi, said the ED.
Bompalli and owners of Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi, among others, have been named as accused in the charge sheet. PTI
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