Hours after Mumbai police alleged today that Republic TV was involved in manipulating TV viewership data, the channel has strongly refuted the allegations. Calling the allegations false, Republic TV owner and editor Arnab Goswami said that they will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. The channel said that BARC has not named Republic in any report of data manipulation, and Mumbai police commissioner is maligning the channel for exposing the police on various cases like Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case and Palghar lunching case.
A statement issued nu Republic TV said-
“Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has made false allegations against republic tv because we have questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation. Republic tv will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh. There is not a single BARC report that mentions Republic TV. The people of India know the truth. Mr. Param Bir Singh’s investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case is under a cloud and this is a desperate measure because of Republic TV’s reportage on Palghar, the Sushant Singh Rajput case or any other case. This kind of targeting only strengthens the resolve of everyone at Republic TV to push for the truth even harder. 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.”
Editor Arnab Goswami also issued a video statement confirming that the channel will file a defamation case against Param Bir Singh. He said that the police commissioner is targeting the channel because he is scared about facts coming out in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. He said that the Maharashtra govt and police can’t silence the channel, and they will fight the false allegations. Arnab Goswami said that BARC has not mentioned Republic in any statement, and the police commissioner threatened to close the channel in desperation.
Today Mumbai police made some sensational claims against some TV channels saying that they were manipulating TRP ratings. In a press conference held today, Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had said that three TV channels, including Republic TV, were involved in manipulating viewership data of BARC by paying those households where Bar-o-meters, the devices that track TV viewership, are installed.
Param Bir Singh had said that two persons have been arrested in connection with the ‘fraud’, one of them used to work for an agency that worked with BARC. He said that they had obtained data of households with the meters installed, and sold this data to the TV channels, who then used this data to influence the TV viewership of those households.
The Police commissioner said that the arrested persons had admitted that Republic TV and two other Marathi Channels were involved in the scam, and the owners of Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema channels have been arrested.
