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.