TRP scam: Ex-COO of rating agency BARC arrested
Mumbai, Dec 17: Mumbai Police on Thursday arrested former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) in connection with the alleged TRP (Television Rating Points) rigging scam, an official said.
Romil Ramgarhia, former COO of the BARC, was arrested in the afternoon by a team of Mumbai crime branch, which is probing the TRP case, he said.
This is the 14th arrest in the case.
"During the probe, Ramgarhia's alleged involvement in the case came to light, following which he was placed under arrest today," the police official said.
Following the arrest, Ramgarhia was produced before a metropolitan magistrate court here, which remanded him in police custody till December 19.
Police sought his custody saying they needed to interrogate him in connection with the case. They also said that his custody was required in order to retrieve electronic evidence from him.
On Sunday, the police had arrested Republic Media Network's Chief Executive Officer Vikas Khanchandani in connection with the scam. However, he was granted bail by a court on Wednesday.
The police began a probe into the alleged scam after ratings agency BARC filed a complaint through Hansa Research Agency about rigging of TRP by some channels.
TRP, measured by recording viewership data at sample households, is crucial for attracting advertisers.
The BARC engaged Hansa to install and maintain barometers which record TV viewership data at sample households.
It was alleged that some of these families were being bribed to tune into certain channels to ramp up their TRP.
In a charge sheet filed recently, the police alleged that an official of Hansa paid money to sample households to tune into Box Cinema, Fakt Marathi, Maha Movie and Republic TV.
The Republic TV has denied any wrongdoing.
Former COO of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) Romil Ramgarhia produced at Esplanade court in connection with TRP scam, in Mumbai | PTI
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Abduction case: JD(S) leader H D Revanna remanded to special probe team custody till May 8
Bengaluru, May 5: Senior JD(S) leader and party MLA H D Revanna was remanded to police custody till May 8 by a city court on Sunday in connection with a case of alleged kidnapping and illegal confining of a woman.
Revanna, who is the son of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, was arrested on Saturday by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after his bail plea was rejected in a case related to kidnapping and illegally confining a woman who is the mother of three children.
The FIR was registered against 66-year-old Revanna based on a complaint by the woman's son on Thursday.
After his medical examination at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital here, the former minister was produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, who remanded him to the custody of the SIT.
ALSO READ: SIT launches helpline for victims of Prajwal Revanna sex scandal, encourages filing complaint
The SIT was formed by the Karnataka government on the recommendation of the Karnataka State Commission for Women chief Nagalakshmi Chowdhary after a huge cache of explicit videos of Revanna's son, JD(S) MP from Hassan Prajwal Revanna became public.
Prajwal Revanna (33), who is the BJP-JD(S) Hassan Lok Sabha candidate, faces rape and molestation charges.
In the complaint of abduction against H D Revanna to the K R Nagar police, the 20-year-old son of the victim had alleged that the MLA's close aide Sathish Babanna had taken his mother away on a motorcycle on April 29, stating that JD(S) leader wanted to see her.
The complainant stated that Babanna told him that if his mother "opened her mouth before the police", she and her family members would be arrested.
Later, the 20-year-old complainant got to know from a friend and relative that his mother was among the women in the cache of videos that has gone public, and that it showed her being tied up and raped allegedly by Prajwal.
As he expressed fear that his mother was in danger, police arrested Sathish Babanna and secured the victim from a farmhouse.
There are three FIRs registered in connection the sexual abuse allegations, involving the father and son, in total.
In the first case in Holenarasipura, the cook and relative of the Revannas complained that H D Revanna and his son Prajwal had molested her.
In the second complaint at CID Bengaluru, a JD(S) leader accused Prajwal of raping her at gunpoint, videographing the incident and then blackmailing her.
The third complaint is against HD Revanna pertaining to the abduction and illegal detention of a woman.
Before being produced before the magistrate, Revanna claimed there is no evidence of his involvement in the case based on the complaint against him registered on May 2.
"There are no evidences pertaining to the May 2 complaint. It's a big political conspiracy... A conspiracy was hatched against me," Revanna told reporters at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, where he was taken for a medical checkup.
He also said that there is no stain in his 40 years of political career.
Prajwal is abroad and a blue corner notice has been issued against him, according to the Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara.
A Blue Corner notice has been issued and Interpol's help is being taken to bring Prajwal back to India, the minister said.
A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.
