The police commissioner of the Indian industrial city of Mumbai says three TV channels were fraudulently raising TRPs, including two Marathi channels and one Arnab Goswami's English news channel Republic TV. The owners of Marathi channels have been arrested while Arnab Goswami is being summoned. The action has been taken under sections 409 and 420 of the Indian Constitution.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh while briefing the media said that Mumbai Police has identified a group which is creating fake television rating points (TRPs). These channels include Arnab Goswami's Republic TV, Marathi channels Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema.
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According to Indian media, the bank accounts of Republic TV are being reviewed after the scandal came to light. In addition, the channel's promoters and directors, including the channel's owner Arnab Goswami, will be summoned.
The police commissioner said that the owners of Fakat Marathi and Box Cinema have been arrested after the TRP scandal came to light. Barack filed a complaint against Republic TV alleging that it influenced the TRP.
Keep in mind that the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is a company in India that publishes ratings of TV channels. For this purpose, the company has installed 2,000 rating meters in Mumbai, about which no channel is informed.
The police commissioner said that the contract for installation of meters has been awarded to Hansa Research. Hansa Research alleges that some of its former employees leaked top-secret data. Based on the same data, these TV channels have been bribing the houses in which these rating meters were installed. The channels would pay these houses Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 per month and ask them to keep these TV channels running 24 hours a day.
Remember that Arnab Goswami's Republic TV is the most watched English news channel in India. Republic India of the same group has become the most watched Hindi language channel. According to the data released by Barak, Arnab Goswami's show is the most watched in the time slot at 9 pm. In India, more than 77% of the viewers of English news channels watch Goswami's show.
