CBI charges Sunil Lulla for manipulating TRP rating

The ex-chief of BARC has also allegedly provided early IPL data to a channel.

According to Business Standard, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused Sunil Lulla, the former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), of rigging the TRP ratings of the India Today television.

The investigation agency said in a chargesheet recently submitted to a special CBI court in Lucknow that Lulla gave Star India with early information about IPL matches on a gratis basis (without payment) in September-October 2020, which caused loss to BARC.

According to the chargesheet, Lulla committed offences under numerous sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including those that dealt with forgery, fraud, and cheating.

In response to a question on the subject, a spokeswoman for Lulla stated that the former BARC director had a spotless record as a professional with great integrity.

The chargesheet further disclosed that BARC had introduced a product dubbed "PreView" in 2018–19 to provide ratings of IPL cricket matches to specific broadcasters.

The package, which featured viewing data for a specific event that was delivered to "the Channel" three to four days before the official release, was created to offer early statistical insight.

According to investigations, BARC lost roughly Rs two crore in revenue in September–October 2020 as a result of providing Star India with free access to data on IPL cricket matches.