One more held for Jananayagan leak, arrest count now 19

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu cybercrime wing has said it has arrested another alleged mastermind behind the online circulation of Jananayagan. With the latest arrest, the number of persons arrested in the case rose to 19.

According to the police, they traced the suspect, a resident of Thiruverkadu, after a detailed investigation involving digital forensics, technical surveillance and intelligence-based operations.

Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing initially arrested six people in connection with the online leak of CM Vijay-starrer Jananayagan and registered a case under several legal provisions after pirated copies of the movie were circulated on digital platforms after a complaint from the production house in April.

Subsequently, a freelance assistant editor for another movie, who gained unauthorised access to Jananayagan clips from the editing studio and stole them, was arrested. "The stolen data was then rendered into a movie and shared with the co-accused, leading to the circulation and wider dissemination of the pirated copies online,  an official release had stated.

Police said further investigation is under way to identify others involved in the distribution network. They warned that downloading or sharing pirated content is a cognisable offence and that strict action would be taken against violators.