Former CEO of 𝔍ratings agency BARC, Partho Dasgupta’s bail plea has been rejected by a sessions court in Mumbai. He has been accused in the alleged fake Television Ratings Point (TRP) case and was arrested by the Mumbai crime branch from Pune district last month.
A magistrate court had earlier rejecꦓted his bail plea, observing that he played a vital role in the scam.
Opposing Dasgupta's bail application in the sessions court, special public prosecutor Shishir Hiray submitted that although the charge-sheet in the case has be✅en filed, there still are multiple things which need to be investigated.
He argued that Dasgupta is a key person and holds sizeable control over the entire system, hence his release will amo♒unt to tampering with the prose🍒cution witnesses, who work under him.
The special public prosecutor 🦋also drew the court's attention towards th🍨e purported WhatsApp chat between Dasgupta and Republic TV's Arnab Goswami.
"We have shown to the court the WhatsApp chat regarding the TRPs in which Dasgupta promised to take down some other channels and put Arnab's chann💙el on the higher position," he said.
Dasgu🔴pta's lawyer, on the other hand, told the court that allegations made against him were without any evidence.
However, finding merit in the prosecution's submissions, sess♒ions court judge M A Bhosale rejected Dasgupta's baiওl plea.
Police have alleged that Dasgupꦦta, in connivance with another senior official from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) and ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd's owner Arnab Goswami, manipulated the TRPs of Republic TV and Republic Bharat (Hindi).
The police have further claimed that Goswami paid in lakhs to Dasgu🐈pta in return of the manipulation.
Republ🅰ic TV and other accused have denied any wrongdoing and manipulation of the TR🎃P system.
The alleged scam came to light last year when the BARC filꦿed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, saying certain television channels were rigꦡging the TRP numbers.
With PTI inputs
