TRP scam: Republic TV owner moves Bombay HC seeking to quash case

ARG Outlier Media Private Limited, which owns Republic TV, has moved the Bombay high court (HC) seeking that the first information report (FIR) registered by the

ARG Outlier Media Private Limited, which owns Republic TV, has moved the Bombay high court (HC) seeking that the first information report (FIR) registered by the Mumbai Police in connection with the television rating point (TRP) scam be quashed.

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In the petition filed on Friday, the firm also sought a direction to transfer the case for investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said public prosecutor Dipak Thakare.

Thakare said the petitioner firm has also contended that the investigation in TRP scam case will have pan-India repercussions, and therefore, it will be appropriate that the case was handed over to the central agency.

Kandivali police registered an FIR in the case on October 7 after the Mumbai Police’s crime branch busted a racket involved in fraudulently increasing TRP of certain channels by paying households where barometers were placed for the purpose of measuring TRP.

One of the arrested accused had informed the police that he was working for Republic TV to pay households to fraudulently increase TRP of the English news channel.

Republic TV had moved the Supreme Court for quashing of the FIR. The Apex court, however, refused to entertain the petition on Thursday and asked the firm to approach the Bombay HC first.