TRP case: Crime branch recovers 13.72 lakh from residence of arrested accused

A crime branch team conducted raids at accused Abhishek Kolawade’s residence and office premises in Mumbai and Thane area and seized total cash Rs 13.72 lakh.

The Mumbai crime branch’s special investigation team (SIT) has seized Rs 13.72 lakh cash from the residence and office premises of arrested accused Abhishek Kolawade in the alleged television rating points (TRP) manipulation case. Kolawade works as a vendor for many channels and runs a company named Max Media.

So far, the crime branch arrested a total 11 accused in the case and Kolawade was arrested on October 25. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze, who is a part of the investigating team, confirmed that a crime branch team conducted raids at Kolawade’s residence and office premises in Mumbai and Thane area and seized total cash Rs 13.72 lakh.

“We have also seized three laptops, two hard discs and five pen drives. The Kalina forensic team has been approached to help the SIT to recover data from laptops, hard disc and pen drive if any important evidence was deleted by the accused” said Vaze.

So far, the crime branch arrested a total 11 accused in the case and Kolawade was arrested on October 25. “After investigation, it was learnt that Kolawade used to get money from suspected channels through Hawala,” said Vaze.

After questioning, Kolawade police arrested Ashish Chaudhary, 50, a Thane resident who was allegedly involved in payment for manipulating views for two news channels and a Bollywood music channel. Chaudhary used to work as a distributor of a Hindi News channel and runs a company named Crystal Broadcast private limited in his wife’s name and was in constant touch with Kolawade.

During the inquiry, Chaudhary revealed that he used to pay Rs 5 lakh to Kolawade every month who distributed the money to other arrested accused, Ramji Varma, Dinesh Vishwakarma and Umesh Mishra, and then the money went to the households where barometers were installed to watch the select news channels maximum time. Both are in police custody till November 2.