Telugu DGP Unravels Massive Fraud

metro india news  I  Thiruvananthapuram / hyderabad 

In a shocking development that has shaken through the Indian television industry, Kerala Police, under the leadership of Andhra Pradesh-cadre IPS officer and current Kerala DGP Ravi D. Channappanavar (popularly known as Ravada Chandrasekhar), has uncovered a staggering ₹100 crore TRP (Television Rating Point) manipulation scam involving the country's sole ratings agency, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).

The scam came to light after the Kerala Television Federation filed a direct complaint with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who immediately handed over the matter to the state DGP. Known for his strict and no-nonsense approach, DGP Channappanavar fast-tracked the investigation, leading to startling revelations.

Investigators found that a prominent television channel allegedly transferred ₹100 crore in cash through benami transactions to the personal accounts of Prem Nath, a senior BARC official, and subsequently to accounts of several other employees of the agency. Evidence recovered includes WhatsApp chats showing weekly advance sharing of rating data, which perfectly matched the officially released figures later — clear proof of systematic manipulation.

In a state like Kerala with only 8.5 million cable connections, records were allegedly doctored to show 20,000 households watching the accused channel 24/7, artificially inflating its TRP rankings.

Preliminary probes also revealed that the channel's management spent crores in Malaysia and Thailand to artificially boost YouTube viewership, indicating a larger pattern of digital manipulation. "This is one of the biggest scandals in Indian broadcasting history," a senior police officer associated with the probe told reporters. "It shakes the very foundation of the Rs. 50,000-crore television advertising market."

The case echoes a similar 2020 scandal in Maharashtra where the then BARC CEO was arrested for accepting a Rs. 50 lakh bribe, with evidence showing the money was used to buy jewelry for his wife. Though political motives were alleged at the time, the fraud was established beyond doubt.

For years, channels — both entertainment and news — have faced public outrage over sensationalism, obscenity, and invasion of privacy, with viewers accusing them of doing anything for ratings. What many didn't know was that some channels were literally buying ratings through corrupt means. With BARC being an industry-funded body (supported by channels themselves), the revelation of deep-rooted corruption within the only official rating system has left broadcasters stunned and advertisers furious.

"Companies allocate huge advertising budgets based on these ratings. If the system itself is compromised, the entire ecosystem collapses," said a senior media analyst. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which has long been considering a complete overhaul of the TRP measurement system, is now under pressure to expedite reforms. The ministry has already consulted various stakeholders and is expected to announce a new, transparent rating mechanism soon.

As the investigation continues, DGP Channappanavar has assured strict action upon completion of the probe. "No one involved will be spared," he stated. The Rs. 100 crore TRP scam has not only exposed the rot within the rating system but has also raised serious questions about the credibility of India's television viewership measurement — a system that influences thousands of crores in advertising revenue every year.