Man held in Hyderabad for pirating #Single on release day, leaked Thandel & other films
Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Police, Hyderabad, have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a large-scale movie piracy racket involving the illegal recording and distribution of several Telugu films, including the recent theatrical release #Single, which was pirated and circulated online on its release day, May 9, 2025.
The accused, Jana Kiran Kumar, a resident of Vanasthalipuram, Ranga Reddy district, and a native of East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, was working as an air conditioning technician. He came under the radar after a complaint was lodged by Yarra Manindra Babu, representing the Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC).
The complaint stated that pirated versions of the film "#Single" had surfaced on the internet just hours after its theatrical release, with copies appearing on known piracy platforms such as 1TamilBlasters, 5MoviezRulz, and 1TamilMV. Forensic watermarking analysis confirmed that the source of the leak was a theater copy.
During the investigation, police discovered that Jana Kiran Kumar had approached piracy group 1TamilMV after seeing a meme advertising their recruitment. He contacted them via Proton Mail and later switched communication to Telegram to evade detection. He offered to supply pirated Telugu films and was quickly recruited. The group assigned him to record newly released movies, offering payments between USD 300 to 400 per film, paid in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. He then converted the cryptocurrency into Indian rupees using digital platforms like ZebPay and CoinDCX.
Jana Kiran Kumar would book movie tickets online and use his mobile phone, concealed in his shirt pocket, to record films during screenings in local theaters. After recording, he uploaded the pirated content and shared the links with handlers on Telegram. In the span of one and a half years, he allegedly recorded and leaked about 40 films, including titles such as Pellikani Prasad, 14 Days Love, Thandel, Game On, Kismat, Rajadhani Files, and #Single. The TFCC estimates that the Telugu film industry lost around ₹3,700 crore in 2024 alone due to rampant piracy.
The case has been registered under Crime No. 1042/2025. The police have invoked multiple sections under the Information Technology Act (Sections 66(C) and 66(E)), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Sections 318(4) read with 3(5), and 338), the Copyright Act (Sections 63 and 65), and the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (as amended in 2008), including Sections 6-AA, 6-AB, and 7(1A).
The arrest was made by a team led by Inspector S. Naresh, with support from Sub-Inspector Manmohan Goud, Head Constable Md Feroz, and constables Rakesh Sagar and Thirumalesh. Two mobile phones used in the piracy operation were seized from the accused. According to the police, Kumar took deliberate measures to remain anonymous and untraceable by law enforcement, including exclusive use of encrypted communication and digital currency.
Authorities have issued a public advisory stating that piracy is a punishable criminal offense. Under Section 6-AA of the Cinematograph Act, using any audio-visual recording device inside a licensed cinema hall is strictly prohibited. Section 6-AB bans the exhibition of pirated films for profit in private domains, and Section 7(1)(a) provides for penalties of up to three years' imprisonment, fines up to one lakh rupees, and further fines of ₹20,000 per day for continued violations. Combined charges under the Copyright Act, Cinematograph Act, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita can result in severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to 10 years or life in cases involving forgery.
The Cyber Crime Police have urged the public to avoid engaging in piracy or sharing pirated content, and to report any suspicious activities to their local police or the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Cell.
