Two senior editors of Republic TV appeared before the crime branch of the Mumbai Police on Wednesday to record their statements in connection with an investigation into the alleged manipulation of Television Rating Points, PTI reported. The police had issued the summons to the news channel’s Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy and Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor on Tuesday. While Narayanaswamy arrived at the Crime Intelligence Unit office at 12 pm, Kapoor reached around 4 pm, a crime branch official said.In a tweet, Republic TV said, "Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor reaches Crime Branch after being summoned. Republic Media Network will not yield by revealing sources.
"In another tweet, the news channel said, "Republic Media Network stands with our Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy & Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor. Republic stands wholly for the right of the media to report and protect its sources."The crime branch has so far arrested five persons in the case.The alleged fake TRP scam came to light when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers.It was alleged that some families at whose houses metres for collecting data of viewership were installed were bribed to tune into a particular channel. Last week, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had claimed that Republic TV and two Marathi channels - Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi -- manipulated TRP for better advertisement revenue.