Bombay HC adjourns Partho Dasgupta bail plea hearing to February 9 – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Bombay HC on Tuesday adjourned the bail plea hearing of ex-BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta to February 9.
His counsel Aabad Ponda and Shardul Singh said he is suffering from a spinal problem and needs medical attention.
Special Public prosecutor Shishir Hire said he wanted time as he was appointed only on Monday. Ponda objected to this, saying Dasgupta’s health is “very precarious.”
“He is not dying but it is precarious and he need medical attention.”
Hire said Dasgupta had earlier gone to Supreme Court too and sai “this is nothing but forum shopping.” Dasgupta’s advocate Aabad Ponda said his health condition may be noted and urged that the hearing not be delayed.
The single Judge bench of Justice P D Naik granted time to Hire and adjourned the hearing.
Dasgupta is seeking bail before the HC after two lower courts had denied him liberty. Singh had on January 25 submitted that either all the accused including co-accused the chief operating officer of BARC were released on bail or were granted protection from arrest by the courts.
He had sought bail on parity too for Dasgupta. He also had argued that Dasgupta had to be hospitalized on January 15 and was discharged last month.
Dasputa is one of the accused in the TRP scam, brought to light late last year by Mumbai Police.
Dasgupta is accused of misusing his official position and conniving with ARG Outlier Media and Arnab Goswami to manipulate TRPs and bring Republic TV to the number one rank.
The sessions court, while rejecting the bail plea of ex CEO of BARC, Partho Dasgupta observed that “it appears it is not a simple case of TRP manipulation but more than that”.
The sessions court order by Judge M A Bhosale was passed on January 20 but the reasoned order was made available on Monday night.
The sessions court said “from the case paper” it is “reflected” that Dasgupta is the “mastermind of the entire crime.”
“He is “acting as a capacity of CEO to manipulate Television ratings through mechanical device” and it is disclosed that he in contact with a television channel owner.
The sessions court’s observation came after the judge saw the chat exchanges cited by the police in documents submitted by the special public prosecutor S S Hire and his submissions. But the judge said “however before forming any opinion on the Whatsapp chats” a thorough investigation is necessary.
The trial court order said this after being informed that Dasgupta had several Whatsapp chat exchanges with heads of TV channels and the police is verifying the chats.
Sessions court said that it appeared from the chats that some “code words” were used and a thorough investigation is needed and Dasgupta would be the “proper person” to “explain” what it means. The court said for such explaining his “face to face investigation” and interrogation is needed.
The sessions court order had recorded prosecution’s submissions that Dasgupta had several chats with the TV channel chief.
Hire also submitted that Dasgupta “acted beyond guidelines and was playing with ₹32000 crore.” “He manages data on TRP” and the “forensic analyser also pointed out” to his role in the “mechanical manipulation”.