News Broadcasting
TRP scam: Mumbai police files chargesheet against Vikas Khanchandani, Romil Ramgarhia & Partho Dasgupta
NEW DELHI: The Mumbai police has filed supplementary chargesheet against Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani, former BARC COO Romil Ramgarhia and former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta.
The chargesheet runs over 5,000 pages in 13 volumes.
While Khanchadani was earlier released on bail, Ramgarhia and Dasgupta are in police custody. Police has been interrogating Dasgupta, who was denied bail and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.
The TRP scam has got even murkier with police claiming to have vital evidence in the case against ARG Outlier Media owner Arnab Goswami trying to bribe former BARC employees to extend favours to Republic TV.
Mumbai Police is relentlessly collecting evidence and so far made 15 arrests in connection with the case, including the owners of the Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema channels, the distribution head of Republic TV, several former relationship managers of Hansa Research Group, hired by BARC.
The alleged scam came to light last year when ratings agency BARC filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, saying certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers.
At a press conference held on 8 October 2020, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh claimed that Republic TV and two Marathi channels – Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi – were involved in manipulating TRP for better advertisement revenue.
Republic TV and other accused have denied any wrongdoing and manipulation of ratings.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
