Mumbai Police summons Republic TV CFO over TRP scam

Oct. 9: Republic TV’s CFO has been summoned for questioning on Saturday at 11 by the crime branch in connection with the viewership scandal that was busted by the Mumbai police. The Mumbai Police Commissioner stated in a press conference that certain companies were buying viewership by paying people.

Shiva Subramaniyam Sundaram is the first senior management official of the TV network to be summoned in the scandal. Mumbai Crime Branch will further interrogate the viewership scandal and how money was being used to buy viewership. Republic TV is the biggest name to have emerged in the early investigation with viewers testifying that they had been paid to keep the channel on even when they were not watching. The two others are local channels in Maharashtra called Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema.

On the other hand, Television anchor Arnab Goswami on Thursday said he will take legal action against Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh who named his Republic TV among three channels for rigging Television Rating Points (TRP). Threatening criminal defamation, Goswami issued a statement saying, “Param Bir Singh stands completely exposed today since BARC has not mentioned Republic In any single complaint. He should issue an official apology and get ready to face us in court.”