Mumbai: Viacom18 Media is working with Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell, Mumbai to fight against digital piracy and infringing usage of content.

The Cyber Crime Cell arrested Subhanjan Kayet for his involvement in the pirated websites/platform named Thop TV. He was accused for the development of software, technical manipulation, illegal streaming and telecasting of the contents from Viacom18’s channels and its OTT platform Voot.

On 23 May, Kayet was sentenced by Esplanade Court to five days of police custody after considering the severity of the offence and upon the request of the counsel appearing for the state.

The Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell has frozen his bank account in which he purportedly received the illegal proceeds of his unlawful activities. He was prolonging his arrest for the last few months after his bail applications were rejected by the courts in Kolkata and Mumbai.
“Special anti-piracy unit MIPCU (Maharashtra Intellectual property Crime Unit) arrested accused Subhanjan Samiran Kayet from Gobardanaga Harbra, 24 Paragana, West Bengal on 22nd May 2022 as he appears to be the lead developer of the THOP TV app,” said Superintendent of Police Maharashtra Cyber Mumbai Sanjay Shintre. “We have sufficient evidence regarding this.”

“We are thankful to Maharashtra Cyber for continuing this action against piracy,” said a spokesperson from Viacom18. “It is important to make the message clear that operating or abetting a business of infringement is a serious offence which affects the creative community at large. The perpetrators will be found and brought before law.”
In the recent past, the efforts of Viacom18 together with Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell had led to the arrest of the founder and CEO of Thop TV.

“Viacom18 has always been at the forefront in addressing and curbing piracy of their content and channels,” said the statement. “Viacom18 and the TV18 network will continue to fight market threats associated with piracy and will protect their channel’s content using all legal methods available.”