New twist in TRP scam, no mention of Republic TV in FIR

Republic TV claimed to have accessed a copy of the First Information Report in the case in which competing media network India Today has been named by the police for manipulating the television ratings.

Hours after Mumbai Police Commissioner triggered a massive controversy when he accused news channel Republic TV of manipulating the television ratings, new facts are emerging in the case.

Republic TV claimed to have accessed a copy of the First Information Report in the case in which competing media network India Today has been named by the police.
A copy of the FIR, accessed by Asianet Newsable, showed that Republic TV wasn't mentioned anywhere in the document.The statements in the FIR is in sharp contrast to the claims made by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in his press briefing earlier today.

The Mumbai top cop claimed to have busted a racket that involved private television channels manipulating their TRPs and accused Republic TV and two other local Mumbai channels of manipulating the crucial data.

At the press conference, Mumbai police chief said their probe found that a set of households where these metres were installed were paid money to tune to a particular channel. Republic TV had strongly refuted the allegations and asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner to apologise.

The channel also threatened to file criminal defamation case against Param Bir Singh.

"Param Bir Singh has made false allegations against Republic TV because we have questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation. Republic TV will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. There is not a single BARC report that mentions Republic TV," Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami said.

"Param Bir Singh's investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case is under a cloud and this is a desperate measure because of Republic TV's reportage on Palghar, the Sushant Singh Rajput case or any other case," he added.