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Synopsis

A Mumbai Court on Wednesday allowed the application filed by Mumbai Police seeking to withdraw the 2020 TRP Scam Case in which Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, was an accused.

Metropolitan Magistrate LS Padhen allowed the application filed by Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray representing the Mumbai Police for the withdrawal of the case.

Hiray submitted that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, or any advertisers did not complain about any offence being committed.

Further, he added that the continuation of proceedings would result in the wasting of judicial time and resources of the government.

The application for withdrawal relied on the reports filed by the Enforcement Directorate which stated that there were contradictory statements of witnesses in the FIR filed by the Mumbai Police.

The case was registered against 22 individuals, including Arnab Goswami, in 2020 when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power, wherein it was alleged that payments were made to the household panels where the TRP was measured.

During the interrogation, it was found that the homeowners had agreed to have received money to keep certain TV channels switched on even if they were not watching it.

In November 2020, the Mumbai Crime Branch filed a chargesheet stating that Republic TV had benefited from the scam. In June 2021, another chargesheet was filed wherein Arnab Goswami was added as an accused.

The application also stated that the decision to withdraw the case was taken by the state home department after it found contradictions in the statements of witnesses during the probe being conducted by the Mumbai Police.