TRP scam: ED summons India Today Group CFO even as Mumbai cops go after Republic TV

By Asianet Newsable English | First Published Jan 8, 2021, 4:21 PM IST

Days after the Mumbai Police informed the Bombay High Court that it had more gathered more evidence against Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in the TRP manipulation scam, India Today CFO has reportedly been summoned to the Mumbai office of the Enforcement Directorate's Joint Director.

The Enforcement Directorate has reportedly summoned India Today Group's Chief Financial Officer in connection with its money laundering angle probe into the Television Rating Points manipulation scam.

Media reports said that the India Today CFO had been summoned to the Mumbai office of the agency's Joint Director.

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The development comes days after the Mumbai Police informed the Bombay High Court that it had more gathered more evidence against Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in the TRP manipulation scam.

Also Read: Mumbai Police tells court: Arnab Goswami paid lakhs to manipulate TRP

The Mumbai Police claimed that Arnab Goswami had allegedly bribed the then BARC chief with "lakhs of rupees" to ramp up the news channel's viewership.

The ED, however, is taking a different route.

In its Enforcement Case Information Report or ECIR, the agency stated that it would do a thorough investigation into the conduct of all channels.

Also Read: TRP scam: Times Now deliberately dislodged from number 1 rating, claims Mumbai Police

The agency had picked loopholes in the Mumbai Police FIR, which had reportedly named India Today and left out Republic TV in the TRP manipulation case.

Ironically, the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh named Republic TV and left out India Today in his October 8 press conference. This despite the original FIR based on the Hansa Research Report implicating India Today in the case.

The ED also reportedly stated that the Mumbai Police had not collected raw data from the bar-o-meters installed by rating agency BARC.

Also Read: Fake TRP scam: Mumbai Police yet to examine BARC raw data?

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