30-year-old caught over 'Laal Singh Chaddha' piracy charges

Banaswadi Police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by film production house Viacom18 against a 30-year-old man in connection with illegal uploading and distribution of pirated prints of Aamir Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha.

The suspect, Jebastephenraj J, was arrested on August 12, following a tip-off received by Viacom18 from Cinepolis, Orient Mall, Bengaluru. Police have unearthed incriminating material and are investigating the possibilities of the accused being connected to organised rackets involved in uploading and distributing pirated content.

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According to the complaint filed by Viacom18, the manager of the cinema suspected that the accused was trying to record the movie on his cellphone, during the 8.45 am show on August 11 -- the first day of Laal Singh Chaddha's release. Jebastephenraj, however, left the hall soon. On the next day, an anti-piracy team attached to the production house spotted the accused at the same cinema. The team brought Jebastephenraj to the police station where a formal complaint was lodged.

Anil Lale, General Counsel, Viacom18, said the efforts from the production house were in line with its continuous support in the fight against piracy.

Laal Singh Chaddha is a remake of iconic Hollywood film Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump was nominated for 13 Oscars of which it bagged six awards including the Best Actor, Best Picture and Direction categories.