NEW DELHI: In a major relief to the private channel, Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandhani has been granted bail by the Mumbai court, in the alleged TRP manipulation scam. Khanchandani was picked from his home on Sunday and was sent to 14-day judicial custody by the Metropolitan Magistrate court at Esplanade on Tuesday.

Khanchandani was the 13th arrest in the case after the alleged scam was busted by the Mumbai Police in October. Earlier, the channel’s head of distribution Ghansham Singh was also arrested in the same case. His name also appeared in the charge sheet prepared by the Mumbai Police department.

The charge sheet in the case names 140 witnesses, including forensic auditors and members of BARC or Broadcast Audience Research Council, which assesses ratings.

Republic TV maintains that the arrests have been made in a matter of vendetta by the Mumbai police over their critical reportage in the Sushant Singh Rajput case.