Movie pirating has been taken to the next level in Hyderabad, as a gang of six people who allegedly made a high definition print copy of the blockbuster film ‘Bahubali 2: The Conclusion’ went on to demand money from the producers of the film, including Karan Johar, by threatening to circulate a pirated copy.
The gang demanded Rs 15 lakh from the producers for not uploading a copy on the internet.
The Hyderabad cyber crime police have arrested the six accused identified as Rahul Mehta (26), Jitender Kumar Mehta (37), Taufiq, (27), Mohammed Ali (39), all residents of Delhi, while accused Divakar Kumar is from Bihar and Chandan from Patna. However, another accused Monu from Bihar is still absconding.
Prasad Devineni, from Bahubali's production firm Arka Mediaworks Entertainment Ltd filed a complaint on April 29 saying that a man called Rahul Mehta claiming to be a representative of an ‘anti-piracy agency’ approached the producers and told them that a pirated high definition print of the film was available. He sent a sample video to prove his claim and said that they would hold the release of pirated print for three days until they are paid.
Following the complaint, police registered a case and started the investigation. After getting a tip off on May 11, the prime accused Rahul was arrested from Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad.
On questioning, he confessed to have committed the crime and named Jitender Mehta, Taufiq and Mohammed Ali as his accomplices, who were then arrested from Delhi.
The police also came to know that, Jitender and Taufiq have past criminal record and were arrested by the Jabalpur police in Madhya Pradesh for piracy of ‘Bahubali-The Beginning’ in 2015.
Further investigation revealed the name of three other accused--Chandan, Monu and Divakar.
The police said that Divakar and Monu, who are the owners of Veena Cinema Hall at Tivhra in Begusarai, made a digital copy of the film.
Monu, who is absconding, along with Divakar used the ‘encryption key’ provided to theatre owners to make a copy of the film. Police have also seized laptop, hard disks, tabs, HDMI video capture, HDMI to RCA converter from their possession.