The Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Thursday arrested Partho Dasgupta, a former executive of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), in connection with the TRP scam. Dasgupta has been arrested from Rajgad police station in Pune district. This is the 15th arrest in the TRP scam. An official said that Dasgupta has been arrested from Rajgad area and will be brought to the local court today, Friday. Mumbai Police has earlier arrested former BARC COO Romil Ramgarhia. This is Partho’s second arrest after Romil Ramgarhia of Bark, an organization that monitors audience numbers.
BARC (BARC) is the Broadcast Audience Research Council, which measures the audience of TV channels. Mumbai Police had started an investigation into the TRP scam at the suggestion of this organization. The former chief executive officer of the BARC has already been arrested. The Mumbai Police Commissioner had in October held a press conference to expose the matter. The ED had also launched an inquiry into the matter in November.
Romil Ramgarhia was arrested after Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani was arrested in connection with the TRP scam. Now the arrest of former BARC executive Partho Dasgupta is considered significant.
Mumbai Police had earlier arrested two employees of Hansa Research in the case. Apart from two employees of Hansa Research, only the owners of Marathi and Box Cinema Marathi channels were also arrested.
Hansa Research, who was the first to be arrested in the scam, was accused by police of paying people to watch a particular channel in a house where a people meter was installed.
A few days back, there was a rumour that the fake TRP racket from Mumbai police had caused a stir in the media. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had informed that the fake TRP racket was destroyed by the Mumbai Police. He had said that the owners of 2 Marathi channels were also arrested in this case. He had said that Republic TV was also investigating the matter.
