TRP scam: Republic TV CEO granted bail on surety of ₹50,000
According to the police, Khanchandani was aware of the technology manipulation that the channel indulged in so that the channel could be seen on two different channel numbers at the same time.
The Esplanade Court in Mumbai on Wednesday granted bail to Republic TV Chief Executive Editor Vikas Khanchandani, who was arrested last Sunday, in the alleged TRP scam. He was earlier remanded to police custody till December 15.
Vikas Khanchandani, Republic TV's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) leaves from the Crime Branch office after he was arrested on Sunday in Mumbai on December 15. (REUTERS)
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He has been granted bail on a surety of ₹50,000.
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Khanchandani was questioned previously by the investigators twice before his arrest.
Mumbai Police registered a case of manipulating television rating points against the Republic TV after rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Agency about the rigging of TRP by some channels. It was alleged that some viewers were bribed to view certain channels to increase TRP. In its charge sheet, the police alleged that an official of Hansa Research Agency paid money to a few households to watch these channels.
According to the police, apart from this, Republic TV officials had contacted cable operators to use dual landing channel number (LCN) technology — which facilitates the viewing of the same channel on two different channel numbers at the same time — to manipulate the numbers. The CEO was aware of it as he was a part of the channel’s internal WhatsApp group where discussions on LCN took place, police said.
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