MUMBAI: In the ongoing probe into the TRP manipulation scam, the crime intelligence unit (CIU) of Mumbai police on Sunday questioned Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) for an hour in jail in connection with the gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 48 lakh found in a bank locker maintained by his wife. Police obtained permission from the 37th metropolitan magistrate court to interrogate him.
BARC India measures viewership of TV channels, which is a crucial metric for advertisers. Dasgupta is the 15th accused arrested in the TRP scam. Dasgupta, arrested on December 30 and sent to judicial custody, is in Taloja jail. His lawyer Kamlesh Gumre said his bail application is likely to come up on Monday.
On the Mumbai police's request, the magistrate, SB Bhajipale, directed the Taloja jail superintendent to make arrangements for Dasgupta's interrogation. Last week, police in a remand application said Republic TV executive editor Arnab Goswami had paid huge sums to Dasgupta to rig the Republic TV TRP since its launch in 2017.