Mumbai Police’s crime department whereas investigating the tv score factors (TRP) fraud has discovered the involvement of two extra channels — a film channel and a information channel. The involvement of the channels within the fraud got here to gentle in the course of the questioning of two former workers of Hansa Analysis Group Non-public Restricted — Dinesh Vishwakarma and Ramji Varma, who had been arrested on Tuesday. Each the accused have been remanded in police custody until October 23.
Inspector Sachin Vaze, who’s heading the CIU (felony intelligence unit) and can also be a part of the investigating group, stated, “Vishwakarma and Varma revealed that they had been working for a film channel, and had distributed cash for TRP manipulation. One other information channel’s title additionally got here up throughout an inquiry. Each the channels had been allegedly concerned in manipulating TRP”.
“We’ve not added each the channels’ names within the first info report (FIR) but. We’re conducting an inquiry and as soon as the proof is discovered, their names might be added and motion might be taken in opposition to them,” stated a senior crime department officer.
In the meantime, crime department additionally added 4 new sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) within the case which incorporates part 174 (non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant), 179 (refusing to reply public servant authorised to query), 201 (inflicting disappearance of proof of offence, or giving false info to display offender), 204 (secreting or destroying any doc to forestall its manufacturing as proof) of IPC.
Vaze confirmed that the sections had been added. “The sections are added within the FIR as a result of some persons are not cooperating within the inquiry and didn’t come to affix the investigation after being summoned,” he stated.
On October 6, crime department had registered a FIR into the fraud at Kandivli police station below sections 420 (dishonest and dishonestly inducing supply of property) and 409 (felony breach of belief by public servant, or by banker, service provider or agent), 120B (felony conspiracy) and 34 (frequent intention) of the IPC and had arrested 4 accused — Vishal Bhandari, 20, a former Hansa worker; Bompalli Rao Mistry alias Sanjiv Rao, 44; and Fakt Marathi and Field Cinema homeowners Shirish Shetty and Narayan Sharma.
In the meantime, crime department on Wednesday recorded the assertion of three senior Republic TV workers, together with the information channel’s chief monetary officer (CFO) S Sundaram, govt editor Niranjan Narayan Swamy and distribution head Ghanshyam Singh. They had been requested to return once more on Thursday for additional inquiry, stated against the law department officer. The channel’s COO Priya Mukharjee was summoned on Thursday.
