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Updated October 10th, 2020 at 17:44 IST

Ishkaran Bhandari says 'Attempts to drag down Arnab failed' after Hansa report TRP expose

Ishkaran Singh Bhandari on Saturday, opined that the attempts to drag Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had failed amid alleged TRP scam

Ishkaran Singh Bhandari
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Commenting on Republic TV's expose on India Today being named in a Hansa research report about alleged TRP manipulation, lawyer Ishkaran Singh Bhandari on Saturday, opined that the attempts to drag Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had failed. Claiming that such attempts had made 'Arnab 100 times bigger', Bhandari said he had received numerous calls in support for Arnab. This development comes amid the ongoing 'alleged TRP scam', being probed by the Mumbai police.

India Today Exposed: Full Hansa report lays bare India Today's alleged TRP malpractices

Ishkaran: 'Attempts to drag down failed'

India Today admits being fined by BARC; threatens TRP ratings agency with legal action

Hansa report names India Today in 'alleged TRP scam'

Earlier in the day, Republic TV accessed a 7-page report by  BARC-associate Hansa Research Group Private Limited which highlighted cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy committed by its employees - Vishal Bhandari, Dinesh Vishwakarma and Unknown Persons. The report which was part of a routine audit uncovered that one of its employees happened to live at what was one of their panel homes where another Bar-O-Meter tracking device was found. Bhandari has confessed to the BARC vigilance team that a person named Vinay called him and asked him to approach 5 panel homes and ask them to watch India Today daily for 2 hours. These statements have also been mentioned in Mumbai police's FIR, filed by Hansa Research.

On Thursday, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh held a press conference to share details of an alleged 'TRP scam' into which the police were probing - naming Republic TV and two Marathi channels - Fakht Marathi and Box Cinema. As per Bhandari’s own confession to the BARC Vigilance team, Vinay paid him Rs.5000 as commission for distributing Rs.1000 among 5 panel homes. A witness to the alleged TRP scam - Tejal Solanki - spoke to Republic TV, mentioning Vishal Bhandari allegedly coercing her adult children to 'watch India Today'. Mumbai police has arrested four people - Fakht Marathi proprietor Shirish Shetty, Box Cinema owner Narayan Sharma, Hansa research's ex-employee Vishal Bhandari and ex-staffer Bomapalli Rao Mistri in connection with this case, stated Param Bir Singh. 

Hansa Research confirms 'TRP Manipulation' FIR that mentions India Today in first response

Apart from this, OpIndia accessed a report wherein it was revealed that BARC had fined India Today Rs 5 lakh by the BARC Disciplinary Council in July after their explanation did not satisfactorily explain an ‘abnormal increase in the viewership’ of India Today. It also stated that India Today had 'breached the provisions of Section 7 of the EULA and has committed Viewership Malpractice', but let them go with a mere warning and fine, as it was the first offence. India Today has threatened BARC with legal action as it 'leaked confidential hearings' and has alleged that BARC has fined it without 'presenting any concrete evidence'.

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Published October 10th, 2020 at 17:44 IST

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