Cable operator arrested after illegal TV broadcast of Jana Nayagan in Coimbatore

Vijay’s Jana Nayagan journey to theatres seems endless. Days after the movie was leaked on social media, it was aired on a local television channel in Coimbatore.

Following the illegal broadcast, police arrested a cable operator for illegally airing H. Vinoth’s upcoming film. The film, which was originally set to release on January 9, was postponed due to a delay in the censor certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Cable operator arrested after illegal broadcast of Vijay’s Jana Nayagan

On what turned out to be a shocking incident, Vijay’s Jana Nayagan was illegally broadcast on a local channel in Coimbatore on April 11.

After the leak, the channel named Rasi telecasted portions of the film that was leaked last week. Following the matter coming to light, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party members alerted the police, who quickly took action.

It has now been learned that cable operator S. Palanisamy, a resident of Karumathampatti, has been arrested.

The 44-year-old operator has been booked under sections of the Copyright Act, Information Technology Act, Cinematograph Act, and the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.

Mohanapriya, a party worker of Vijay’s political party, filed the complaint. Following this, the police raided the cable network office and seized four hard disks and a computer.

Giving details of the incident, TVK functionary Mohanapriya, said,''We presented evidence and filed a formal complaint. Initially, we were told an FIR would be registered the next morning. However, on Sunday, the police informed us that a separate unit is already handling the leak. They also declined to issue a CSR despite the incident taking place in Karumathampatti," she said. “If local authorities fail to act, we will approach senior officials and the District Collector.”

The illegal broadcast reportedly took place on the night of Saturday (April 11), and approximately 21 minutes after the interval was aired on the channel.

In a related case regarding the leak of the film, the Tamil Nadu cybercrime wing has arrested six individuals. In addition to this, around 300 links from social media accounts have also been taken down. After the leak, dozens of producers and actors have come forward to condemn the piracy action.

Directed by H. Vinoth, the Tamil political action thriller stars Vijay, Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and many others.