Latest news with #JanaKiranKumar
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad: How an AC mechanic earned over Rs 40 lakh in cryptocurrency by watching 40 films in 1.5 years
A 29-year-old air-conditioner mechanic from Hyderabad was arrested for allegedly running a high-tech movie piracy racket that leaked over 40 films. The accused, Jana Kiran Kumar, was caught during a joint operation by the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) anti-piracy cell and the cybercrime police. He was reportedly caught while recording inside a theatre, marking the first such case in the city. Secret operation behind movie leaks Kiran, a resident of Vanasthalipuram, worked as an AC technician during the day and operated the piracy racket by night. Over 18 months, he is said to have earned more than Rs 40 lakh in cryptocurrency by recording and leaking newly released films. Targeted low-crowd cinemas using booking data During questioning, Kiran admitted to choosing theatres based on the occupancy data available on the BookMyShow app. 'The emptier the theatre, the better my chances of going unnoticed,' he reportedly told police. This allowed him to carry out the recordings without drawing attention. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 20 Most Expensive Cars Undo Officials said Kiran recorded films from multiple cinema halls across Hyderabad. In total, he leaked at least 40 movies. His arrest is being seen as a significant breakthrough in tackling movie piracy in the region.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
AC mechanic by day, movie pirate by night: Leaked 40 films from theatres; Hyderabad man makes Rs 40 lakh in crypto wealth
HYDERABAD: By day, Jana Kiran Kumar fixed air-conditioners. By night, the 29-year-old became a high-tech movie pirate with a calculated plan that could rival a heist script. Kiran slowly built a profitable side job by secretly recording newly-released movies and leaking them-a racket that reportedly earned him over Rs 40 lakh in cryptocurrency over the past 18 months. But eventually, the resident of Hyderabad's Vanasthalipuram got caught following a joint operation by Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) anti-piracy cell and cyber crime cops. It also marked the first instance of a movie pirate being caught while recording inside a theatre. During interrogation, Kiran confessed to recording and leaking at least 40 movies from different theatres across Hyderabad. The accused told cops that he would choose cinema halls based on occupancy data from BookMyShow. "The emptier the theatre, the better my chances of going unnoticed," he reportedly told cops. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Hyderabad AC technician held for pirating 40 Tollywood films; leaked from theatres, industry loss Rs 3,700 crore & paid in crypto
Hyderabad: Cyber crime sleuths in Hyderabad arrested an AC technician from Vanasthalipuram, on Thursday, for his alleged involvement in piracy of 40 Tollywood films. The 29-year-old accused, Jana Kiran Kumar, was arrested based on a complaint lodged by Manindra Babu, the representative of the anti-video piracy cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC). The TFCC has estimated that the Telugu film industry has suffered a staggering loss of Rs 3,700 crore due to piracy. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad In his complaint, Manindra stated that the Telugu film #Single was pirated and circulated online the day it was released. "The pirated HD versions were traced to piracy platforms such as 1Tamilblasters, 5MovieZRulz, and 1TamilMV," said Hyderabad police commissioner CV Anand, adding that forensic watermarking analysis indicated a leak from a threatre. The police said Jana Kiran had contacted 1TamilMV piracy group on social media and offered to be their partner to source them the needed pirated Telugu content.. "The accused used to book movie tickets online and visit theatres. Using his mobile phone hidden in shirt pocket, he recorded the movie. Later, he shared the pirated video with his handlers via Telegram," the police said. In return for sharing videos, Kiran's handlers would pay him $300-$400 per film in cryptocurrency. He converted cryptocurrency into Indian rupees using ZebPay and Coin DCX platforms. Apart from #Single, he was involved in illegally recording Pellikani Prasad, 14 Days Love, Thandel, Game On, Kismat and Rajadhani Files.
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Cyber Crime cops blow lid off high-profile film piracy racket
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have apprehended a 29-year-old man from East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh found actively involved in a high-profile movie piracy racket. In a span of one and half year, he has recorded and leaked about 40 movies in various theaters across Hyderabad. Police arrested Jana Kiran Kumar, works as an AC Technician and residing at NGOs Colony, Vanasthalipuram, Ranga Reddy District and native of Andhra Pradesh. According to police, on June 5, police received a complaint from Yarra Manindra Babu, representing the Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), Hyderabad. He reported that Telugu film, 'Single' (released on May 9, 2025), was illegally pirated and circulated online on the very day of the movie release. Pirated HD versions were traced to popular piracy platforms like 1TamilBlasters, 5MoviezRulz, and 1TamilMV. Preliminary forensic watermarking pointed towards leakage from a theater. The TFCC estimated a staggering Rs 3,700 crore loss to the Telugu film industry in 2024 due to piracy, urging swift investigation and action against broader piracy networks. Following the complaint, police registered a case under sections 66(C), 66(E) IT Act; Sec. 318(4), r/w 3(5), 338 BNS; Sec. 63, 65 of the Copyright Act, Sec. 6-AA, 6AB, 7(1A) of Cinematograph Act, 1952 (2008) and investigated. The Cyber Crime police said that the accused found a meme mentioning piracy group 1TamilMV and contacted their recruitment email (Proton mail) and Sent a proposal via email offering to source pirated Telugu content. The accused has taken all precautions from being tracked by the Investigating Agency by Shifting to Telegram after sharing his Telegram ID. It was assigned to record newly released movies, with agreed payments of USD 300–400 (in cryptocurrency) per movie. Some of the movies filmed are - Pellikani Prasad, 14 days Love, Thandel, Game On, Kismat, Rajadhani Files etc. The senior officer at Cyber Crime said 'Kiran booked tickets online and used his mobile phone, concealed in his shirt pocket, to record the movies in theaters. And later shared the pirated movie files links to handlers on Telegram. He received payments in Bitcoin and converted crypto currency into Indian Rupees using platforms like ZebPay and Coin DCX.' The Cyber Crime police said that 'Piracy is a Crime'. Recording or sharing pirated movies is a serious criminal offense under the Copyright Act, 1957. Section 6 AA of Cinematograph Act, Section 6 AB, Section 7 (1) (a). These orders are issued by the Central Government or the Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the violation can result in imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both, along with a further fine of up to twenty thousand rupees for each day the offence continues. The police urged the public to refrain from engaging in or supporting movie piracy in any form and appealed to report any suspicious activity to the local police authorities or cybercrime police.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Hyderabad man arrested for pirating 40 movies
The Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a large-scale movie piracy racket. Jana Kiran Kumar, an air-conditioner technician from NGOs Colony, Vanasthalipuram, was found to have illegally recorded and leaked around 40 Telugu films over the past year and a half, operating in coordination with known piracy platforms, said an officer from the Cybercrime Wing. The arrest follows a complaint lodged on June 5 by Yarra Manindra Babu from the Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. He reported that HD versions of a film called 'Single', released on May 9, were uploaded on multiple platforms within hours of its theatrical release. Watermark analysis suggested the leak came from a cinema hall. An FIR was registered, and multiple sections of the IT Act, BNS, Copyright Act and Cinematograph Act were invoked. Talking about the racket, the officer said that Kumar initially found a meme referring to the piracy group 1TamilMV and contacted them through a Proton Mail address. 'He then shifted communication to Telegram, where he was assigned the job of recording new Telugu film releases for payments ranging from USD 300 to 400, paid in cryptocurrency,' said the officer. He would book tickets online, conceal a mobile phone in his shirt pocket, record the films inside theatres, and share the files via Telegram. Payments were made in Bitcoin and converted into rupees using crypto platforms such as ZebPay and CoinDCX. 'Films he is known to have pirated include Pellikani Prasad, 14 Days Love, Thandel, Game On, Kismat, and Rajadhani Files, among others. The most recent offence took place in May 2025. Two mobile phones were seized from his possession,' added the officer. Hyderabad police have reminded the public that piracy is a punishable offence under the Copyright Act, 1957, and Cinematograph Act, 1952 (amended in 2008). Recording or exhibiting pirated films, or even possessing them for profit, can attract up to three years of imprisonment, a fine of ₹1 lakh, and an additional ₹20,000 fine for each day the offence continues. In cases involving forgery and organised sharing, the punishment can extend to life imprisonment.
