Andhra police bust piracy ring, arrests cable operator for illegal streaming network

In a significant enforcement action against digital piracy, Andhra Pradesh police have arrested an operator linked to an illegal streaming network functioning through a mobile application identified as Levyn, following months of investigation that began with a formal complaint earlier this year.

The case, registered at the Tarlupadu Police Station (Tadivaripalli) in Markapuram district, names Mallikarjuna Reddy, owner and operator of Mallikarjuna Cable Network, as the primary accused. 

The FIR (a copy of which is with e4m) was filed under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 63 of the Copyright Act, Sections 66 and 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with Section 43 of the IT Amendment Act 2008 — a combination of charges that signals the seriousness with which authorities are treating the offence.

According to the FIR, the accused was operating without any licence, permission, or authorisation from the content owner, and was using the Levyn application as the primary vehicle for delivering pirated content through his cable network infrastructure. 

To substantiate the complaint, the informant personally subscribed to the service, making payments of Rs. 150/-, Rs. 189/-, and Rs. 180/- via PhonePe UPI, following which login credentials were provided by the operator. Payments were reportedly made to an individual named Aneem Mallikarjuna Reddy, believed to be associated with the accused. Multiple premium JioStar channels were found to be accessible through this pirated service.  

The complainant alleged that the operator was also misusing consumer Jio set-top boxes (STBs) to facilitate illegal transmission, adding a further dimension of hardware misappropriation to the case.

Acting on the investigation triggered by the FIR, police conducted a raid on 24 April 2026, leading to the arrest of the operator. During the operation, authorities seized key devices including a mobile phone and a laptop — both of which were reportedly being used to manage and facilitate the illegal streaming activity. Sub-Inspector Brahmanaidu of the Tarlupadu Police Station registered the case and took up the investigation.  

Preliminary findings from the investigation paint a picture of a structured, albeit localised, piracy distribution network. The operator is stated to have built a customer base of over 460 subscribers, which notably included multiple local cable operators — suggesting that the network was not merely serving individual end-users, but was functioning as a wholesale distributor of pirated content to downstream operators.

The accused allegedly offered access to content through subscription-based pricing models, with services marketed to end subscribers as part of bundled internet packages, typically priced between Rs. 400 and Rs. 600. This pricing strategy, investigators note, mirrors legitimate OTT bundling models — making it harder for average consumers to identify the service as illegal.

In a development that significantly broadens the scope of the investigation, police have identified the presence of a parallel streaming application — Nexus Play — which is stated to have been developed under an entity named NEXT Technologies Private Limited. This entity is currently under examination by authorities, and investigators are working to establish the precise relationship between Nexus Play and the Levyn ecosystem.

The emergence of a second application within the same investigative thread suggests that the piracy infrastructure may be more sophisticated and better-resourced than a single-operator setup would imply. Whether Nexus Play shares backend infrastructure, content sources, or organisational linkages with the Levyn application is among the key questions investigators are currently pursuing.

Multi-Layered Distribution Model Spans AP and Telangana

The Levyn application is understood to operate through a multi-tiered distribution model that involves MSO (Multi-System Operator) distributors, local cable operators, and end-users — closely mirroring the structure of legitimate cable and broadband distribution ecosystems in India. This layered approach makes enforcement more complex, as culpability is dispersed across multiple intermediaries.

The distribution network is reported to be active across parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with participation reportedly involving internet service providers, including those associated with APSFL — the Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited. If confirmed, this would raise serious questions about the extent to which state-run broadband infrastructure may have been exploited, knowingly or otherwise, to support piracy networks.

 The application is further stated to have been distributed through both the Google Play Store and APK-based sideloading channels — a dual-track approach that maximises reach while also providing a fallback in the event of a Play Store takedown. Initial indicators suggest measurable user adoption across both distribution modes.

Investigators are additionally examining whether the application was promoted using credentials or associations linked to individuals connected with a cable distribution business previously operating under the name M/s Preethi Cable Network in East Godavari district. 

If this link is established, it would suggest that the accused or associated parties may have leveraged pre-existing cable operator relationships and subscriber trust to build the piracy network's user base — a tactic that is increasingly being observed in cases where traditional cable businesses pivot or diversify into illegal digital distribution as cord-cutting reduces legitimate revenues.  

Law enforcement authorities have confirmed that the investigation is continuing. Authorities are actively working to map the full extent of the network and identify all entities — individuals and corporate — involved across the distribution chain. The arrested operator is expected to be produced before a competent court, and further arrests cannot be ruled out as the probe deepens.

The case is being seen in industry circles as a demonstration that copyright enforcement in India is increasingly moving beyond surface-level action, seeking to dismantle the underlying infrastructure of organised piracy networks rather than merely targeting individual end-points.