Prashan Bhushan shares a screenshot of WhatsApp conversation between Arnab Goswami and former BARC CEO

By Kaushiki Ghosh Published on January 16, 2021, 16:52 IST

On Friday, Advocate Prashan Bhushan shared screenshots of the reportedly leaked WhatsApp talks between Republic TV executive editor Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) who is accused in the TRP scam case.

Bhushan said in a tweet with the screenshots of the purported conversation that there are a few snapshots of the bloody leaked WhatsApp talks between BARC CEO & #ArnabGoswami. They demonstrate many conspirators and extraordinary access to power in this government; massive misuse of his media and his role as a power broker. In every nation ruled by the rule of law, he will be in prison for a long time.

There are a few snapshots of the horrible leaked WhatsApp talks between BARC CEO & #ArnabGoswami.— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) 1610697675000

The TRP fraud came to light in October last year, when BARC filed a lawsuit through the Hansa Research Community, claiming that some TV networks, including Republic TV, had rigged their TRP numbers.

According to the Mumbai Police, Partho Dasgupta misused his official status and conspired with the accused, including Arnab Goswami, to exploit TRP ratings and carry Republic TV to number 1.
The police also reported that Goswami had paid huge sums to Dasgupta to rig Republic TV TRP before its launch in 2017.

BARC measures the consumption of TV networks. TRP or “television rating point” indicates the proportion of the intended population watched by the program. A higher TRP indicates a wider audience, making the channel a favorite for advertisers.
The former BARC CEO was named in the supplementary bill filed by the Mumbai police in the TRP scam case.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the involvement of Republic TV, Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema, News Country, Mahamovies, and Wow Music Channel in inflating audience numbers. Channels were accused of giving money to households (where barometers have been installed) to keep the channels on.