Ex-CEO of BARC Partho Dasgupta. File
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The Bombay High Court on Friday heard the bail plea filed by Partho Dasgupta, former chief executive officer and managing director of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), an accused in the Television Rating Point manipulation case.
The matter will be heard on January 25.
He was arrested from Pune on December 24, 2020, and is currently lodged at the Taloja Central Jail. On January 20, the City Civil and Sessions Court had rejected his bail and on January 4, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate had rejected his bail.
Before the sessions court, special public prosecutor Shishir Hiray opposed his bail on the grounds that WhatsApp chats had been leaked in which there were conversations between him and the Prime Minister s Office, which showed that he was an influential person and could tamper with evidence and sway witnesses who were either former or current employees of BARC.
Daily briefing: Air India disinvestment; Covid-19 vaccination in India; and more
The top stories this morning: Disinvestment of Air India; India s plan for Covid-19 vaccination; Jharkhand scholarship scam probe; and much more. Updated: December 15, 2020 8:32:17 am
A look at the top news on December 15, 2020.
The Big Story
Multiple expressions of interest
were received for debt-laden Air India following the government’s second attempt at disinvesting its stake. Among the contenders were the Tata Group, a consortium comprising several of the airline’s employees, and a US-based investment firm. The Tata Group’s bid, sources say, has not been placed through its affiliate airlines, Vistara or AirAsia India. Tata Airlines?
In the first week of December, the police were informed that Shaikh had returned to his native place and was staying with his relative. A team was subsequently sent but like every other time, Shaikh escaped.
After the police came to know that Shaikh was likely to cross the border to Bangladesh, the team, rather than reaching out to his relatives, decided to get in touch with a man with whom the accused had had a tiff in the past.
“There was a local resident who had a feud with Badshah and he stayed at a distance of 20 feet from the accused. He allowed one of our constables to stay in his home,” said the officer.
Varavara Rao. File
The Bombay High Court said on Tuesday that 81-year-old poet Varavara Rao will continue to be in a private hospital for his treatment till the matter is heard on December 21.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a Division Bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and M.S. Karnik that Mr. Rao had been in a private hospital and now, as per medical records, he could be discharged.
The court said it would want to hear the pleas at length filed by senior advocates Indira Jaisingh and Anand Grover on behalf of Mr. Rao’s wife, Hemalatha, seeking bail on medical grounds. Mr. Rao was shifted from Taloja Central jail to Nanavati hospital on November 18 for medical examination and treatment.