PARTHO NIRMAL DASGUPTA Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The applicant is arrested on 24 December 2020 in connection with C.R.No. 843 of 2020 registered with Kandivali Police Station on 6 October 2020 for offences punishable under Section 409, 420, 120B, 34 of Indian Penal Code. The investigation was then transferred to CID, Crime Branch vide C.R.No. 143 of 2020. Section 465, 468, 406, 174, 179, 201, 204, 212 were added.

(2.) The brief facts of the prosecution case as spelt out in the First Information Report are as follows :-

(3.) During the course of investigation several persons were arrested. The applicant was arrested on 24 December 2020. He was produced before the Court of learned Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, 37 Court, Esplanade, Mumbai on 25 December 2020. Remand application refers to arrest of 14 accused. It was stated that charge-sheet is filed against Accused Nos. 1 to 12 on 24.11.2020. Further investigation under Section 173(8) is in progress. Accused No.13 was arrested on 13.12.2020 and accused No.14 was arrested on 17.12.2020. He was granted bail. Ten persons were shown as wanted in the case. The Applicant was impleaded as Accused No.15. The charges under Section 409, 420, 465, 468, 406, 120B, 174, 179, 201, 204, 212 r/w. 34 were invoked. The remand application further mentions that during the interrogation of Accused No.14 - Romil Vinodkumar Ramgadia, he had disclosed that he was involved in manipulation of TRP in connivance with the then Chief Executive Officer of BARC (Applicant). It was further alleged that applicant was interrogated and he disclosed that he was working as CEO with BARC from June 2013 to November 2019 and he has misused his position and manipulated TRP of certain TV channels. Police custody of the applicant was sought on various grounds. He was remanded to police custody till 28 December 2020. The applicant was again produced before the Court for remand on 28 December 2020. It was stated that mobile phone, lap-top, i-pad, TAG-HEUR watch, silver ornaments, etc. were recovered valued about Rs.2,23,900/- at the instance of the applicant. The applicant was again produced for remand on 30 December 2020. Similar grounds were made for custody. The Applicant was then remanded to judicial custody. Charge-sheet was filed against the Applicant.