S Gurumurthy slams FIR against Republic editorial team; asks 'Sharad Pawar to take note'

Slamming the Mumbai police's FIR against Republic's editorial staff, Thuglak Editor S Gurumurthy on Friday, said that it was the most foolish thing a less powerful state government can do. Comparing the three-party coalition government to the mighty Rajiv Gandhi government, he said that even 'it failed in semi-barbaric tactics'.  Requesting the 'mature' Sharad Pawar to take note of the issue, he condemned the attack on media freedom.

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Gurumurthy: 'Most foolish thing'

Mumbai Police files FIR on Republic’s entire editorial team, hear Arnab’s message to them

FIR against Republic editorial staff

Targetting the Republic Media Network, Mumbai Police filed an FIR against the entire editorial team of the network, revealed Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Friday. All 1000 employees of the network have been booked by the Mumbai Police, including top editors of the Network. The Mumbai police has booked the case for a serious non-bailable offence for incitement to disaffection among members of the Police Force and defaming Mumbai Police - under sections 500 and 34 of IPC. Apart from this, Mumbai Police has asked Republic Media Network CFO Sundaram to submit details of every transaction and detail of every journalist with the Network within 12 hours- which include costs of coffee vending machine, air-conditioning equipment, furniture etc.

In TRP case, OpIndia's tape of witness allegedly being coerced to name Republic with CBI

What is the alleged TRP scam?

Commissioner Param 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 has arrested 10 people till date including Hansa research's ex-employee Vishal Bhandari and ex-staffer Bomapalli Rao Mistri in connection with this case. While Singh named Republic TV, neither the FIR, remand copy nor the arrested individuals' statements mention the channel, instead named India Today. As per Bhandari’s own confession to the BARC Vigilance team as mentioned in Hansa Research's report, 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. 

Arnab & Republic can use 'Nation Wants To Know'; HC refuses to grant Times Now injunction

Apart from this case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing into a case filed by Kamal Sharma - promoter of Golden Rabbit ad agency - alleging TRP inflation. The case was transferred from Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow to CBI on the recommendation of the Uttar Pradesh government as the investigation involved the jurisdiction of several states. In response, the Maharashtra government withdrew its general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe cases in the state.