TRP Scam: Arnab Goswami Paid Lakhs Of Rupees To Former BARC CEO, Mumbai Police Tells Court

The former CEO of BARC, according to the report, used the money to purchase jewellery and other valuables that were seized from his residence.

Mumbai| The police here on Monday submitted a remand report submitted before a court, in which they said that Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had paid “lakhs of rupees” to Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), to “increase” the Television Rating Points (TRPs) of the two Republic news channels.

While seeking the remand of Dasgupta, who was arrested last week, the police told the metropolitan magistrate’s court: “ When Dasgupta was the Broadcast Audience Research Council, or BARC, CEO, Arnab Goswami and other accused in the case conspired to illegally increase the TRPs of Republic Bharat Hindi news channel and Republic TV English news channel. In order to do that, Goswami on several occasions paid Dasgupta lakhs of rupees, it has been established in the investigation.”

This is for the first time that police here have spelt out Goswami’s alleged role in the TRP case. However, the remand report mentions “Republic owners” in the list of accused, but does not name Goswami specifically.

The former CEO of BARC, according to the report, used the money to purchase jewellery and other valuables that were seized from his residence. “The purchases include one Tag Heuer watch worth approximately Rs 1 lakh and imitation jewellery and stones worth Rs 2.22 lakh,” police said.

The Mumbai police last week had said that the recent arrests were made after they received a third party audit report, sought by the current BARC management. The audit report, submitted to BARC in July this year, said the ratings of channels like Times Now had been reduced so that Republic would top the TRP points, police said.

They found some emails between BARC employees that backed the findings of the audit report, police added.