News Broadcasting
TRP scam: Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani sent to 14-day judicial custody
NEW DELHI: Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by the metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai in connection with the TRP manipulation racket.
Just like with the arrest of the network’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, a petition has been filed in the Bombay HC seeking relief for Khanchandani while a bail plea is already pending before a lower court. The sessions court in Mumbai will hear his bail petition on 16 December.
Khanchandani was arrested on Sunday, following which a Mumbai court had remanded him to two days of police custody till 15 December.
The police submitted before the court that the Republic network, in order to increase its TRP, paid Rs 15 lakh monthly to ensure that more viewers watch their channels – Republic TV (English) and Republic Bharat (Hindi).
Media reports state that police found the alleged amount in possession of Abhishek Kolawade, accused of taking money from the channel for carrying out activities to increase the viewership and thereby the TRPs of the channel.
After interrogating ARG Outlier AVP Ghanshyam Singh, the police concluded that Singh was allegedly being directed to carry out illegal activities to increase the channel’s ratings by Republic TV COO Priya Mukherjee, who in turn was being instructed by Khanchandani.
The remand order for the Republic TV CEO was sought on the above points. His counsel argued that Khanchandani was targeted because Arnab Goswami is engaged in a dispute with the Maharashtra government for several reasons. It was also pointed out that the arrest was deliberately made on Sunday, a day before his anticipatory bail application was listed for hearing before the Mumbai sessions court, so as to defeat the petition.
The TRP scam was unearthed by Mumbai police on 8 October after BARC filed a complaint through Hansa Research group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging ratings. Hansa had been tasked with installing barometers, which record viewership data at sample households.
Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh then claimed that Republic TV and two Marathi channels – Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi – were involved in manipulating TRPs.
Since then, several arrests have been made in the case and there have been a lot of developments both within and outside of the courtroom.
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.
