NEW DELHI: Former BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta has been admitted to JJ Hospital after his sugar level fell extremely low. He is in the ICU now.

The development comes after the Mumbai police released over 500 pages of WhatsApp messages purportedly between Dasgupta and Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, in which they allegedly discussed confidential TRP data and intervention from political leadership in industry matters.

Dasgupta has been in judicial custody after he was denied bail in the TRP manipulation case. Police has claimed the former BARC chief was the mastermind behind the TRP scam. He has been charged for conniving with Goswami in manipulating viewership ratings for wrongful gains.

The Mumbai police on 8 October 2020 had made the sensational claim of cracking a “major racket” active in manipulating TV ratings. Three channels were named in the initial press conference – Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema, and Arnab Goswami-led Republic TV. Following this, a major controversy erupted with all news channels calling out Goswami and his channels. On its part, Republic TV has maintained that it committed no wrongdoing, and the case was an exercise in vendetta by the Mumbai police.