Vazegate plotters 'dacoits in uniform'; media's silence cowardice: Ex-UP DGP Vikram Singh

After the grand reality of the fake TRP case was exposed before the world's eyes, with disgraced ex-cop Sachin Vaze telling the ED in a statement that he was directed to implicate Republic TV in the fake TRP case and arrest Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami under instructions from ex-Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, former Director-General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh Dr Vikram Singh on Friday sought for a CBI probe in the matter. Vikram Singh, in a discussion on Republic TV which also involved senior political analyst MR Venkatesh and senior lawyer KK Manan, among others, cast his apprehensions about what went on in the effort to 'fix' Republic. 

'Maharashtra has no moral right to probe'

Disgraced former Mumbai Police Sachin Vaze has told the ED that ex-Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh instructed him to pursue the case and arrest Arnab Goswami. Referring to the same, Vikram Singh asserted that the though a 'little late, the truth has prevailed'. The former UP DGP, underlining that never in his life he had seen such miscarriage of power by 'dacoits in the uniform', said that in the TRP case divine justice has prevailed. 

Vikram Singh also highlighted the silence of the 'Lutyens media' in the matter and said, "The world knows what Arnab is,  what Republic is and it also knows who is keeping silent when they are supposed eloquently speak out. Nobody in the world has an iota of sympathy against them." 

Further, the former Uttar Pradesh DGP, reiterating his demand for a CBI probe in the matter, added, "Maharashtra has no moral right to continue with the probe." 

What is the fake TRP case?

Ex-Mumbai CP Parambir Bir Singh had 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. Mumbai police initially arrested ten individuals including Hansa research's ex-employee Vishal Bhandari who confessed that a person named Vinay paid him Rs.5000 as commission for distributing Rs.1000 among 5-panel homes to ask them to watch India Today daily for 2 hours. While Param Bir Singh named Republic TV, neither the FIR, complaint, remand copy nor the arrested individuals' statements mentioned the channel; instead, they named India Today.

In spite of this, the Mumbai police questioned Republic TV's executive editor- Niranjan Narayanaswamy, Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor, CEO, COO, and senior members of the Republic Media Network's Distribution team, asking them to reveal how they accessed the 'Hansa report'. The questioning has totaled over 200 hours - culminating in Republic's Assistant VP Ghanshyam Singh's arrest, Republic CEO Vikas Khanchandani's arrest, and Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami's arrest. All have been granted bail from various courts, as the bid to fix Republic has failed to gain muster with the courts and the conspiracy has unraveled.