Telegram app logoMumbai police have shut down Telegram group BJ Tech Knowledge that illegally allowed access to content from big broadcasters such as Disney Star, Viacom18, Sony, and Zee, sources close to the development said.
Disney Star filed a criminal complaint against BJ Tech Knowledge, which was being operated by Balaji Asaram Jaybhaye, at NM Joshi Marg Police Station, Mumbai, on April 27, 2024, and a FIR, a copy of which is with ET, was registered on the same day.
“The police conducted an investigation against BJ Tech Knowledge, leading to a raid on August 11. During the raid, the police team arrested Jaybhaye and seized his laptop and phone,” one of the sources involved in the matter said on condition of anonymity.
BJ Tech Knowledge allowed pirates to share content URLs belonging to the big broadcasters with users in the Telegram group, allowing them to stream the content through a network stream player app.
To access the content, users had to download the network stream player app from the Google Play Store/iOS and log in through a shared URL in the Telegram group.
“BJ Tech Knowledge, which had 5000 active users, sold URLs to users for Rs 300 and accepted payments through UPI,” said another official involved in the matter.
ET has contacted Inspector Arvind Chandanshive, and his comments are still awaited.
In 2023, the Cyber Economics & Narcotic Crimes (CEN) arm of the Bengaluru police arrested Rajasthan resident Shisharam Badiya for alleged content piracy following a complaint by Star India last year.
Shisharam was allegedly involved in illegally streaming Star India and Disney+ Hotstar content through an app called Pikashow and monetising that content through ads.
Ampere Analysis reports that the Indian media and entertainment industry has lost over $3 billion in the last few years due to piracy of movies, TV shows, and sports.
The ED and Gujarat Police carried out searches in multiple states over a money-laundering probe tied to unauthorised streaming of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches by a betting website. Twenty locations were raided, stemming from an FIR that alleged magicwin.games illegally streamed matches, causing financial losses. The searches led to the seizure of documents, cash, and cryptocurrency. The federal agency highlighted the coordinated efforts needed to address such complex online crimes.
Reliance Industries plans to merge Disney+ Hotstar with JioCinema after their Star-Viacom18 merger. This consolidation aims to save costs and enhance JioCinema’s content offerings, making it a leading OTT platform in India. The merger is pending approvals from CCI and NCLT.
- Published On Aug 23, 2024 at 04:40 PM IST
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