<p>The Mumbai Police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet in a court here in the alleged TRP (Television Rating Points) rigging scam.</p>.<p>The charge sheet was submitted before a magistrate's court by the police's Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), which is conducting a probe into the case, an official said.</p>.<p>The crime branch has so far arrested 12 persons, including Republic TV's distribution head and owners of two other channels, in connection with the case, he said.</p>.<p>The fake TRP scam came to light last month when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers.</p>.<p>Hansa had been tasked with installing barometers, which record viewership data (which channel has been watched and for how long) at sample households.</p>.<p>TRP is important as advertising revenue of channels depends on it.</p>.<p>Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh last month claimed thatRepublic TVand two Marathi channels Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi- were involved in manipulating TRPs.</p>.<p>Republic TV and other accused have denied wrongdoing and manipulation of the TRP system.</p>.<p>Earlier, Republic TV's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and two Chief Operating Officers (COO) and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) were summoned by the police for questioning in the fake TRP racket case.</p>.<p>The statements of Republic TV's executive editor Niranjan Narayanswamy and senior executive editor Abhishek Kapoor were also recorded by the police.</p>.<p>The Maharashtra government last month withdrew its "general consent" given to the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe cases in the state, in the wake of the CBI taking over a case registered by Uttar Pradesh Police against "unknown" channels and persons over alleged fudging of TRP.</p>.<p>The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed a money laundering complaint in the alleged TRP rigging scam being investigated by the Mumbai Police.</p>.<p>The central probe agency has filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) that is equivalent to a police FIR under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, official sources said last week.</p>.<p>The ED complaint was filed after studying a Mumbai Police FIR that was registered in October and it had named the Republic TV channel, two Marathi channels and few other individuals.</p>
<p>The Mumbai Police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet in a court here in the alleged TRP (Television Rating Points) rigging scam.</p>.<p>The charge sheet was submitted before a magistrate's court by the police's Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), which is conducting a probe into the case, an official said.</p>.<p>The crime branch has so far arrested 12 persons, including Republic TV's distribution head and owners of two other channels, in connection with the case, he said.</p>.<p>The fake TRP scam came to light last month when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers.</p>.<p>Hansa had been tasked with installing barometers, which record viewership data (which channel has been watched and for how long) at sample households.</p>.<p>TRP is important as advertising revenue of channels depends on it.</p>.<p>Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh last month claimed thatRepublic TVand two Marathi channels Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi- were involved in manipulating TRPs.</p>.<p>Republic TV and other accused have denied wrongdoing and manipulation of the TRP system.</p>.<p>Earlier, Republic TV's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and two Chief Operating Officers (COO) and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) were summoned by the police for questioning in the fake TRP racket case.</p>.<p>The statements of Republic TV's executive editor Niranjan Narayanswamy and senior executive editor Abhishek Kapoor were also recorded by the police.</p>.<p>The Maharashtra government last month withdrew its "general consent" given to the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe cases in the state, in the wake of the CBI taking over a case registered by Uttar Pradesh Police against "unknown" channels and persons over alleged fudging of TRP.</p>.<p>The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed a money laundering complaint in the alleged TRP rigging scam being investigated by the Mumbai Police.</p>.<p>The central probe agency has filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) that is equivalent to a police FIR under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, official sources said last week.</p>.<p>The ED complaint was filed after studying a Mumbai Police FIR that was registered in October and it had named the Republic TV channel, two Marathi channels and few other individuals.</p>