TRP scam: ED attaches assets worth ₹32 crore of 3 channels

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹32 crore belonging to three channels; Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema and Maha Movies channels, in connection with the television rating points (TRP) scam, a senior ED officer confirmed

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹32 crore belonging to three channels; Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema and Maha Movies channels, in connection with the television rating points (TRP) scam, a senior ED officer confirmed.

Mumbai police have so far arrested 14 accused in the case including the chief executing officer, BARC, Partho Das Gupta.

The properties are in the form of land, commercial and residential units in Mumbai, Indore, Delhi and Gurgaon and balances in bank account totalling ₹32 crore. Investigations have revealed that the proceeds of crime for these channels is to the tune of ₹46 crore, said an ED officer.

ED’s investigation is based on the first information report (FIR) registered by Mumbai Police. Probe in the money laundering aspect of the case has revealed that People Meters/devices also called bar-o-meters were installed at certain places/households (approximately 1,800 in Mumbai and 44,000 in India in total) on a proportionate basis to mimic the viewership pattern of 197 million households in India for capturing viewership of various channels of different genres and languages in selected homes to calculate the TRP.

These bar-o-meters are installed for Broadcast Audio Research Council by Hansa (BARC decides the household, where the bar-o-meter is to be installed and the installation is handled by a third party agency - Hansa Research Group Limited), employees (relationship managers).

TRP enables advertisers to understand the viewership pattern of the channels. TRP becomes an important basis on which advertisement is allocated to any channel and determines the revenue generation of a television channel. Thus, manipulation of TRP becomes a tool for generating greater advertisement revenue.

The investigation further revealed that television channels namely Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema and Maha Movie, had entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat and committed the offence of criminal breach of trust, forgery to gain wrongfully by manipulating TRPs of these television channels. Thus, by fraudulently enhancing the TRP ratings, these channels have garnered enhanced advertisement revenue. In two of these channels, just 5 compromised households were contributing to approximately 25% of the viewership of Mumbai for the relevant period and in the third channel, 5 compromised households were contributing to approx. 12 % of viewership of Mumbai.

Accordingly, the movable and immovable properties of the channel’s owners/entities have been attached to the tune of ₹32 crore against the total proceeds of crime to the tune of ₹46.77 crore generated during the manipulation period of TRP of the channels under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Mumbai police have so far arrested 14 accused in the case including the chief executing officer, BARC, Partho Das Gupta and distribution head of Republic Television. Mumbai crime branch has already charge-sheeted some of the accused.