In what could spell more trouble for Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), has made some more startling revelations in the TRP scam case.
It has been reported that Dasgupta, the arrested former boss of the leading TV ratings agency, has confessed in a handwritten note given to the Mumbai Police that he was provided USD 12,000 by Goswami to spend on two separate holidays.
Further, Goswami provided Rs 40 lakh to Dasgupta over three years as part of the quid pro quo between them to manipulate TRPs in favour of Republic TV (English) and Republic Bharat (Hindi).
The handwritten statement is a part of the over 3,600-page supplementary chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police, which is investigating the TRP scam. All this was stated in a report in The Indian Express on Monday.
The supplementary chargesheet, which was filed in the court by the police on January 11 this year, reportedly also contains a BARC forensic audit report, incriminating WhatsApp chats between Goswami and Dasgupta which have already got leaked, and statements of 59 other persons.
Apart from Dasgupta, former BARC COO Romil Ramgarhia and Republic Media Network CEO Vikas Khanchandani have been named in the supplementary chargesheet.
The Mumbai Police had filed the first chargesheet in the case in November last year and named 12 accused.
As per the report, Dasgupta’s statement reads: “I have known Arnab Goswami since 2004. We used to work together in Times Now. I joined BARC as CEO in 2013. Arnab Goswami launched Republic in 2017. Even before launching Republic TV he would talk to me about plans for the launch and indirectly hint at helping him to get good ratings to his channel. Goswami knew very well that I know how the TRP system works. He also alluded to helping me out in the future.”
“I worked with my team to ensure manipulation of TRP ratings that made Republic TV get number 1 rating. This would have continued from 2017 to 2019. Towards this, in 2017 Arnab Goswami had personally met me at St Regis hotel, Lower Parel and given me 6000 dollars cash for my France and Switzerland family trip…also in 2019 Arnab Goswami had personally met me at St Regis and given me 6000 dollars for my Sweden and Denmark family trip. Also in 2017, Goswami had personally met me at ITC Parel hotel and given me Rs 20 lakh cash… also in 2018 and 2019… Goswami met me at ITC hotel Parel and gave me Rs 10 lakhs each time…” it adds.
The statement was recorded by the police on December 27, 2020.
Source:Times Now
