Republic TV chief Vikas Khanchandani has been arrested by the Mumbai Police in the fake ratings scam. So far Khanchandani is the 13th person to be arrested in the case.
However, Republic TV on Sunday termed the arrest as 'illegal', saying he was nabbed from his home around 3 a.m. without serving proper papers.
Republic TV termed the arrest as 'illegal'
Khanchandani is likely to be produced before a holiday court later in the day, even as Republic TV initiated a campaign demanding his release soon after his arrest.
The channel said: "Republic TV issues national appeal for courts to intervene to stop attacks on an independent news organization" with a hashtag, #FreeRepublicCEONow.
The channel said that Khanchandani has already been summoned in the past and subject to the interrogation of over 100 hours by the Mumbai Police, and termed it as 'targeting' of the Republic TV.
The arrest of the top executive comes less than a week after the Supreme Court turned down a plea from ARG Outlier Media Private Limited, which owns the Republic Media network, seeking protection for the group and its employees.
"This petition is ambitious in nature. You want Maharashtra Police not to arrest any employee and transfer the cases to CBI. You better withdraw this," Justice DY Chandrachud had told the group, which had accused the Maharashtra Police of "hounding" the media house, it's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and its employees.
