Sessions Court Observes In Bail Order- Ex-BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta Prima Facie

SESSIONS COURT OBSERVES IN BAIL ORDER- EX-BARC CEO PARTHO DASGUPTA PRIMA FACIE “MASTERMIND” OF TRP SCAM 

OVERVIEW 

The City Civil and Sessions Court has indicated that, prima facie, the CEO of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), Partho Dasgupta, seems to be the "mastermind" of the TRP Racket, in a comprehensive notice denying his bail plea.

Additional Sessions Judge MA Bhosale noted that it was accurate that 14 other convicted were given bail by the Magistrate's Court, but the dispute report in the present crime reveals that the charged (Dasgupta) is the mastermind of the whole fraud and works in his capability as CEO to exploit television ratings.

FURTHER DETAILS

Dasgupta was detained in TRP Scam on 24 December 2020 and is currently being held in Taloja Jail. He was CEO of BARC from June 2013 to November 2019.

Dasgupta approached the High Court immediately after his plea for bail had been refused on 16 January, and a thorough copy of the order had only been granted access on Tuesday.

Justice PD Naik had scheduled his appeal for prosecution on 9 February at 4 p.m. after Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hirey demanded time to consider his bid for bail.

COURT'S OBSERVATION

In its ruling, the Sessions Court noted that Dasgupta's bail merited denial on the basis of the fact that additional inspection of the WhatsApp chats was needed, and that it could tamper with evidence if it was granted bail.

The Court held that the case seems to be more than just exploitation of the TRP when responding to Dasgupta's WhatsApp conversations and "It appears from the papers before me that it is not a case of mere coercion of the TRP but more than that, however, before forming any opinion on WhatsApp chats, I believe that a detailed investigation is needed."

The Court noted that certain "code words" seem to have been adopted by Dasgupta in WhatsApp exchanges, and that he will be the right one to clarify their purpose, for which "face to face" inquiry is needed.

BRIEF BACKGROUND

WhatsApp talks involving Dasgupta and television news host Arnab Goswami fall foul of the over 3,600-page indictment filed by the Mumbai Police against Dasgupta earlier this month.

The Crime Division of Mumbai Police reported the FIR in the Television Rating Points Scam in October last year on a report by the Hansa Research Group Private Ltd.

In their indictment, the officers identified Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani, former BARC COO Romil Ramgarhia, apart from Dasgupta.

The Judge also claimed that the prosecutorial veracity of the chats must be checked at the time of the trial.

WHO, ACCORDING TO YOU IS THE PRINCIPAL CULPRIT IN THIS CASE?! SHOULD DASGUPTA BEEN GRANTED BAIL?! LET US KNOW YOUR OPINION IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! 

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE TRP SCAM CLICK HERE.