Mumbai: The city Crime Branch investigating the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) case has allegedly found suspicious bank transactions of Rs 32 lakh between Hansa Research Group and Republic TV. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police which is assisting the crime branch in the case alerted them after the alleged transactions was found to be made from Hansa to Republic. Hansa Research Group did not disclose the same with them during 20 days of investigation, said a crime branch officer.
Hansa Research Group, a market research company have been tasked by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to maintain and fetch viewership data from households where barometers have been installed.
According to the police, when the director of Hansa asked about the said transaction, he said that he is not aware of it. The BARC has also said to have been unaware of the transaction. The crime branch is treating the transaction as conflict of interest as Hansa is working for BARC.
On the complaint of Hansa, the offence of TRP manipulation was registered at Kandivali police station on October 6 before the crime branch took over the probe. However now their role is under scanner as well, said a crime branch officer. When police tried to verify the same with Republic TV, it’s CFO said that he would have to get details of the transaction.
Meanwhile, the accused Abhishek Kolawade who surrendered before them on Sunday was produced before the court on Monday, flowing the hearing he has been sent to police custody for two days. The police said in court that Kolawade was found giving training to the other arrested accused Ramji Varma and Dinesh Vishwakarma and Umesh Mishra, all of them are former Hansa employees. He trained them about how to entice viewers to watch certain channels. Promises of health insurance were made to households to watch particular channels for maximum time, said a crime branch officer.
The crime branch has continued to issue summons in the case, on Monday, five investors of Republic TV have been issued summons asking them to appear before them on Friday. Owners of other companies have also been called for recording their statements, few of the companies have investments in Republic TV, said police.
An arrested accused in the case, Umesh Mishra was granted bail on Monday. His advocate said in the court that Mishra is cooperating with the agency in the probe and he is also likely to become a witness in the case. The Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh on October 8 announced to have unearth TRP manipulation racket and alleged three channels including Republic TV, Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi have indulged in TRP rigging, names of other two channels have been added in the case during the course of investigation. The crime branch has so far arrested 10 accused in the case which includes two owners of Marathi Channels.
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