TRP Scam: Delhi court orders police inquiry into Navika Kumar on Arnab’s complaint

New Delhi: A Delhi court has directed the city police to conduct an inquiry against Times Now Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar in a defamation case filed by ARG Outlier Media, the company owned by Republic TV’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. 

The order was passed on Monday by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Siddhant Sihag of Patiala House Courts, who invoked Section 225 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 – analogous to Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure – to delay issuing summons until a preliminary investigation is done since the accused resides outside the court’s jurisdiction.

The court noted that Kumar, a prominent news anchor and Group Editor-in-Chief at Times Now, lives beyond its jurisdiction and stated in its order, “Given the facts and circumstances, I deem it appropriate that an investigation be carried out in the instant matter u/s 202 Cr.P.C. / 225 BNSS. Copy of this order be sent to the concerned SHO for necessary action. Report be filed by the IO on or before the next date of hearing.” 

The matter has been listed for further proceedings on February 26, 2026, by which time the police investigation report is expected.

The complaint by ARG Outlier Media Private Limited (which owns Republic TV) alleges that Navika Kumar made a series of defamatory and unsubstantiated statements against Arnab Goswami during a prime-time broadcast of Times Now’s “Newshour” debate. 

The show in question, where Kumar purportedly commented on leaked WhatsApp chats involving Goswami and the former CEO of BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) in connection to the Television Rating Points (TRP) scam investigation. 

According to the complaint, Kumar “misused, misconstrued and distorted” the contents of the Mumbai Police chargesheet in the alleged TRP scam case, and these remarks were designed to malign Goswami’s reputation. 

Advocate Ayush Jindal appeared on behalf of ARG Outlier Media to advance these allegations in court.

The court’s order for inquiry under CrPC Section 202/BNSS 225 means that the magistrate has postponed summoning Navika Kumar until the police verify the claims. 

This legal provision is often used when the accused is outside the local jurisdiction, ensuring there is sufficient ground to proceed. 

If the police report finds merit in the allegations, the court could then issue summons or warrants against Kumar in the defamation case; otherwise, the complaint could be dismissed at the pre-summons stage.

The TRP Scam

The defamation suit is rooted in the high-profile TRP scam controversy that erupted in 2020, which pitted Goswami’s Republic TV against its competitor Times Now. The TRP scam came to light in October 2020 when Mumbai Police registered an FIR alleging that Republic TV bribed several sample households to fraudulently boost its viewership ratings. 

Subsequent Mumbai Police chargesheets suggested the manipulations were far-reaching, dating back to the launch of Republic TV in 2017. 

BestMediaInfo.com was at the forefront of reporting on this scandal. The publication broke incriminating WhatsApp chats between Arnab Goswami and former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, which hinted at a larger conspiracy to keep Republic TV ranked #1 from its inception.

The alleged TRP rigging saga quickly escalated into a battle between Republic TV and Times Now, with both news networks trading charges and counter-charges on-air. 

As Republic TV touted an “exoneration” by the Enforcement Directorate chargesheet, Times Now accused Republic of selectively presenting facts and questioned the omission of evidence unfavourable to Goswami. 

It was during one such on-air counterattack - the Times Now Newshour debate hosted by Navika Kumar - that the remarks now under scrutiny were made. 

Kumar’s segment drew from the leaked Mumbai Police chargesheet and WhatsApp chat transcripts, pointedly questioning Goswami’s journalistic ethics and suggesting Republic TV’s success was built on manipulated ratings.

BestMediaInfo’s extensive coverage of the TRP scam provides context to these developments. 

Notably, Mumbai Police had filed cases against Arnab Goswami, Republic TV executives, and former BARC officials for allegedly tampering with TRPs to favor Republic TV. The scandal also led to a broader industry conversation about “toxic content” on news channels and saw major advertisers pull back from Republic TV. 

Republic TV, for its part, has vehemently denied wrongdoing and often accused rivals (like Times Now) of running a smear campaign.

In this charged atmosphere, Republic’s parent company ARG Outlier Media chose to fight back in court. It filed the present criminal defamation complaint against Navika Kumar, arguing that her January 18 broadcast leveled “rabid and unfounded claims” and effectively convicted Republic TV in the public eye even before any trial. 

The complaint invokes Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (criminal defamation) and asserts that Goswami and his channel suffered serious harm to their reputation.

Now, the inquiry will determine whether Kumar’s remarks were defamatory falsehoods or fair commentary based on the Mumbai Police’s findings in the TRP scam. The outcome of this probe, due by early 2026, will influence whether Navika Kumar is summoned to face defamation proceedings.