TRP scam: Sessions court rejects bail application of former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta

A sessions court today dismissed the bail application of former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta.

LiveLaw reported that the Mumbai police "vehemently argued against" granting Dasgupta bail, and that special public prosecutor Shishir Hirey "read out several WhatsApp chats between Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and Dasgupta to display their 'proximity'".

Dasgupta was arrested in December in connection with the TRP scam, which involves the purported "manipulation of ratings" by several TV channels including Republic, according to the Mumbai police.

Dasgupta's lawyer told the court that his client's health was "fragile", Bar and Bench reported, and that "it would deteriorate further leading to a diabetic coma" if he continued to stay in jail. Dasgupta was admitted to hospital last week with a "sudden spike" in his blood sugar levels. His family has made serious allegations against the Mumbai police, accusing them of "torturing" him into confessing.

Last week, the Mumbai police filed a supplementary chargesheet in the scam and made public hundreds of pages of purported WhatsApp conversations between Goswami and Dasgupta. Read Newslaundry's coverage of the Arnab-Partho chats here.