BENGALURU: In one of the first such cases, cyber crime police are investigating allegations of

misusing television rating points (TRPs) to earn more money.

Police said on Sunday they have arrested five people based on a complaint from representatives of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (

), an industry body that publishes weekly TRPs.

The arrested are Raju, Madhu, Suresh, Jemsy and

, all from Bengaluru. In its complaint, BARC alleged that "illegal methods have been used in

ratings and there was a huge fraud in such ratings. Television channels earned a huge sum by way of charging more for advertisements".

"Investigation has found that a group of people was involved in illegally hiking TRPs by using multiple televisions and also by paying money at homes where TRP metres are installed, and luring them to watch specific channels to increase the ratings of the same," police said.

The main accused, Raju, who once worked with a Kannada television channel, used to collect money from several TV serial producers to rig TRPs.