Hyderabad cybercrime police bust sophisticated movie piracy ring

Hyderabad: In a significant catch, Hyderabad cyber crime police have apprehended a key player in a high-profile movie piracy network that has been systematically targeting Tollywood films. The arrest has exposed the sophisticated digital operations threatening India's second-largest film industry by box office revenue and domestic admissions.

The arrested individual, Jana Kiran Kumar, 29, an air conditioning technician from East Godavari district currently residing in Hyderabad, allegedly operated an elaborate piracy scheme over 18 months.

During this period, he successfully recorded and leaked approximately 40 Telugu films from various theatres in Hyderabad, the heart of Tollywood's production hub.

Investigation details have revealed the modern methods employed by the piracy ring. Kumar received payments in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from platforms distributing pirated Telugu movies, then converted these digital currencies into Indian rupees using established cryptocurrency exchanges like ZebPay and CoinDCX, police said.

Police investigation successfully traced high-definition pirated versions to popular illegal streaming platforms, including 1TamilBlasters, 5MoviezRulz, and 1TamilMV.

The case began on June 5, when cyber crime police received a complaint from Yarra Manindra Babu, representing the Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC).

He reported that the Telugu film "#Single," released on May 9, 2025, was illegally pirated and circulated online on the very day of its release. Pirated HD versions were traced to popular piracy platforms including 1TamilBlasters, 5MoviezRulz, and 1TamilMV.

Through preliminary forensic watermarking analysis, police determined that the leaked content originated from a theater in Hyderabad, leading to Kumar's identification and arrest.

"The accused found a meme mentioning piracy group 1TamilMV and contacted their recruitment email via Proton mail. He sent a proposal offering to source pirated Telugu content," explained a senior police official from the cyber crime bureau.

Kumar took extensive precautions to avoid detection, switching to Telegram after sharing his contact details. He was assigned to record newly released movies for agreed payments of USD 300-400 in cryptocurrency per film. Among the movies he filmed were "Pellikani Prasad," "14 Days Love," "Thandel," "Game On," "Kismat," and "Rajadhani Files."

His method was systematic. Kumar would book tickets online, then use his mobile phone concealed in his shirt pocket to record movies in theaters. He would subsequently share the pirated movie file links with handlers on Telegram and receive payments in Bitcoin.

The Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has estimated that piracy caused a staggering Rs 3,700 crore loss to the Telugu film industry in 2024 alone, highlighting the massive economic impact of such operations on the entertainment ecosystem.

Police have registered an FIR under multiple sections of Information Technology Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Copyright Act and Cinematography Act, 1952 (2008) and probe is on.

Police said that recording or sharing pirated movies constitutes a serious criminal offense under the Copyright Act, 1957.

Key provisions include Section 6AA of the Cinematograph Act which prohibits the use of any audio-visual recording device in a licensed cinema hall. And, Section 6AB of the Cinematograph Act which prohibits exhibiting an infringing copy of a film for profit in a private domain.

The combination of Copyright Act and Cinematograph Act sections, coupled with Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions involving illegal recording, sharing, and displaying, constitutes forgery. T

he punishment for these offenses can include imprisonment for life or a term up to 10 years.