Mumbai: Evidence makes TRP scam fit case for conviction, says Param Bir Singh

CP Param Bir Singh (centre) felicitates the team, including ACP Shashank Sandbhor (on his right) and API Sachin Vaze (left)

Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh on Friday felicitated the teams that investigated the Television Rating Points (TRP) scam, and said the evidence they have collected makes it a "fit case for conviction".

Singh felicitated the Crime Intelligence Unit's (CIU) Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising 38 members, who are led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Shashank Sandbhor and Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze.

"I have felicitated and rewarded my teams who have done tremendous job in the past two months. The CIU officers were also felicitated for doing an excellent investigation in the TRP scam as well as the Dilip Chhabria sports car forgery scam," Singh told mid-day.

"We have collected every piece of evidence, including documentary, digital, and witness statements before the magistrate, which is going to play a very important role, and we see this as a fit case for conviction," he added.

During a conference, Singh also appreciated the CIU for unearthing the nexus between a TV channel and the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) for the manipulation of TRP. Vaze, who played an important role in both the TRP and Dilip Chhabria sports car scams, got a special mention.

The CIU had registered the TRP scam case on October 6, and so far the SIT has filed two charge sheets against 15 accused, including Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani and distribution head Ghanshayam Singh.

A supplementary charge sheet contains WhatsApp conversations between Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, and former BARC COO Romil Ramgariha. Dasgupta and Ramgariha are accused in the case.

The SIT will file another supplementary charge sheet after arresting a few wanted accused. The CIU officers said they are waiting for the forensic report of the mobile phones of the accused.

"In Dasgupta's mobile phone, we have found some screenshots of chats with Goswami since 2017 that he saved and deleted the original texts. All these digital evidence will be included in the next supplementary charge sheet," an officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch said.