The CEO of Republic TV has been arrested.

Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch arrested Republic Media Network's CEO, Vikas Khanchandani in the TRP manipulation case.

Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch arrested Republic Media Network's CEO, Vikas Khanchandani in the TRP manipulation case.Mumbai Police launched an investigation into the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation case in October 2020 based on a complaint filed by Broadcast Audience Research Council. The Mumbai metropolitan magistrate court on December 13 remanded Vikas Khanchandani in police custody for two days in the case.

The investigators alleged that Khanchandani was part of an internal WhatsApp group in which discussions on Logical Channel Number (LCN) would occur. LCN is an identification number assigned to a TV channel. It was claimed that Republic channel had paid cable operators and multi-system operators for using the 'dual/ promotional local channel number' to telecast their news channels on more than a single track. Police also interrogated Republic Media Network's Assistant Vice President of distribution Ghanshyam Singh and concluded that Singh was conducting illegal activities to increase TRPs for their channel with the channel's Chief Operating Officer Priya Mukherjee.

However, Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda appearing for Khanchandani, opposed the remand sought by Mumbai Police. Khanchandani moved to a sessions court in Mumbai seeking anticipatory bail in the TRP scam case.