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TRP Scam: 3 Republic TV employees get anticipatory bail
New Delhi: A sessions court has granted anticipatory bail to three Republic TV employees in connection with the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) scam, that came to light in October last year.
The three employees named Shivendu Mulherkar, Ranjit Walter, and Sivasubramaniyam Sundaram had filed their pleas before the court last year, according to their lawyer Vikram Kamath.
On Wednesday, the court allowed their anticipatory bail applications. According to their lawyer, the three accused had submitted before the court that they were not named in the FIR registered in the case initially and there was no ground against them (for arrest). Subsequently, a charge sheet was filed and they were named as accused. So, whatever material was there, it was before the court, and so, their custodial interrogation was not required, Kamath had argued.
In a 1800 page supplementary charge sheet filed in June, the Mumbai police had named the three as accused, along with senior journalist and Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami. Apart from him, the Mumbai Police had named four others from ARG Outlier Media– COO Priya Mukherjee, Shivendu Mulelkar, and Shiva Sundaram as accused in the case.
The alleged fake TRP scam came to light in October 2020 when rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group (HRG), alleging that certain television channels were allegedly rigging TRP numbers by bribing households where BARC bar-o-meters were installed to tune into a particular channel throughout the day. An FIR in the case was registered after former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh named the channel as being involved in the scam.
As many as 15 arrests have been made in the case, the most prominent being former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, who later got bail after furnishing a bond of Rs two lakh. The arrested people were charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.
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Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
