The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed a case to investigate allegations of manipulation of Television Rating Points scam by three channels. The CBI registered the case after a complaint was filed in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the scam. The CBI inquiry was recommended by the Adityanath-led government.
The alleged TRP scam was brought to light by Mumbai police earlier this month which registered a case. Republic TV is one of the four channels being investigated.
Six people have so far been arrested by the police in connection with the scam, which allegedly involves inducing homes which form the sample set whose TV viewing is monitored to ensure that certain channels get higher ratings.
The ratings are a key influencer of advertiser preferences while placing commercials.
ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd, which owns Republic TV, and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami moved the Bombay high court last week seeking to quash the FIR lodged by the Mumbai police against the channel in the case.
The Mumbai Crime Branch had earlier registered an FIR under various sections of Indian Penal Code for cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy against Republic TV and its senior officials, and also against two other local regional channels.
