TRP Scam: Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani Gets Bail
The Mumbai Police had retrieved WhatsApp chats between the accused and Ghanshyam Singh.
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Republic Media Network's CEO Vikas Khanchandani was granted bail in the TRP scam case on Wednesday, 16 December, LiveLaw reported.
He was remanded to police custody till 15 December by a local court.
The Mumbai Police told the court on Sunday that it has retrieved some WhatsApp chats between Khanchandani and another accused Ghanshyam Singh. The police further said that Republic TV was manipulating TRPs by using the dual-frequency tactic. Dual-frequency is when one channel gets aired on two numbers.
The police had sought time to check the accused’s phone.
Khanchandani Was Allegedly Aware of Malpractices
Mumbai Police’s crime branch sources told The Quint that during the ongoing probe, the police have been able to establish that Khanchandani was aware of the channel’s alleged malpractices to manipulate the TRPs.
The Supreme Court on 6 December had refused to entertain a plea filed by ARG Outlier Media Private Limited, which owns the Republic Media network, seeking protection for its employees in cases lodged against them in Maharashtra. Terming the petition ambitious, Justice DY Chandrachud had asked the petition be withdrawn.
Khanchandani, who was arrested by the Mumbai Police crime branch on Sunday, 13 December, is the thirteenth person to be arrested in the fake TRP case.
His arrest comes just over a week after the channel’s distribution head, Ghanshyam Singh, was granted bail in the same case. Khanchandani was earlier summoned by the crime branch for questioning in October. He was reportedly arrested from his residence on Sunday.
(With inputs from LiveLaw.)
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