Mumbai cops bust TRP racket; Republic TV denies charges

Mumbai police on Thursday claimed to have busted a Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation racket, adding four persons have been arrested in this case. TRP is a tool to judge which TV programmes are viewed the most and also indicates the viewers’ choice and popularity of a particular channel. Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh told reporters that Republic TV channel, facing flak over its attack on Mumbai police and Maharashtra government in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, was also involved in the ‘false TRP’ racket. The Mumbai police crime branch, which unearthed the TRP racket, has arrested two persons, owners of two Marathi channels, for manipulating viewership ratings, Singh said. Another police official said two former employees of Hansa agency, involved in the process to determine the TRPs, have also been arrested. Republic TV, in a statement, rubbished Singh’s claims. Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of the channel, said the Mumbai police chief made false claims against Republic TV as the channel had questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation.