Mumbai police has now arrested Republic TV's distribution head Ghanshyam Singh in connection with a police case for alleged manipulation of ratings to show the news channel and its programmes as the most-watched.
Singh heads distribution in Republic TV, which is run by the arrested anchor. He is also the 12th accused to be taken in by the Mumbai Police in connection with the TRP scam.
Arnab Goswami arrested
In a separate case, Goswami was arrested last week from his Mumbai home and he is supposed to be in police custody till 13 of this month.
According to police sources, there are reports that some viewers accepted that they were paid by Republic TV to keep the channel on even if they were not watching it. Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema are two other channels that were named in early investigations into the alleged TRP scam.
According to police sources, Singh was earlier questioned on multiple occasions. Last month, the fake TRP scam came to light when a complaint was filed by ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) through Hansa Research Group, which is one of BARC's vendors, and it was alleged that there were certain television channels that were manipulating TRP numbers.
On the other hand, the allegations were denied by Republic TV and it also accused the Mumbai police of a vendetta as the channel had extensively questioned the police on its investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case.
Republic TV also stated that both Goswami and Singh are arrested on baseless grounds. Never before an independent media organization has been clamped down by elected machinery the way it is happening now. The channel further stated that the channel fully recognizes that attempts are being made to throttle the network, the ability to cover news and mow down the spirit of a free press in Maharashtra.
It stated, "Republic Media Network is shocked at the unchecked malicious campaign of the Mumbai Police that is determined to falsely target and desperately implicate Republic and its members."
