Kolkata Police busts ‘Vedu’ piracy app with 2 mn downloads, probe widens

The Kolkata Police has intensified its crackdown on digital piracy with a targeted enforcement action against an illegal streaming application named “Vedu,” acting on a formal complaint linked to JioStar, according to details accessed from the First Information Report (FIR) and people familiar with the investigation.

The FIR (a copy of which is with e4m), registered at the Cyber Police Station under Kolkata Police Cyber Headquarters, was filed on August 14, 2025, based on a written complaint submitted by Bikash Kumar Singh, a 33-year-old resident of Panchasayar, Kolkata. 

According to the FIR, unidentified accused persons allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy prior to August 13, 2025, to develop and deploy a piracy application called “VEDU.” The app was used to illegally host, stream, and distribute video-on-demand content including movies, web series and short films, along with live sports broadcasts without authorisation from JioStar platforms such as JioCinema and JioHotstar .

Investigators indicated that the scale of the operation was significant, with the application estimated to have clocked over 2 million downloads before being taken down. The platform allegedly hosted exclusive content from JioHotstar, including premium titles and live sports programming, making it a major source of unauthorised access to subscription-only material.

The FIR further states that the app was not merely a distribution platform but a monetised piracy operation. It generated revenue by displaying advertisements within the application, with ad supply facilitated through Unity Ads, an advertising network . This model enabled the accused to profit directly from unauthorised dissemination of copyrighted content, resulting in wrongful financial loss to JioStar, the FIR noted.

During the enforcement action, police seized key digital infrastructure used to run the operation, including a laptop, two mobile phones, and networking equipment such as a router and modem. These devices are expected to aid investigators in tracing the backend operations, financial transactions, and potential network of collaborators.

The FIR invokes multiple legal provisions, including Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Sections 61(2) and 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 . An inspector-ranked officer, Dulal Saha Roy, has been assigned to lead the investigation.

Officials added that the accused persons are currently unidentified in the FIR, indicating that further investigation is underway to establish identities and determine the scale of the operation.

Following the crackdown, the “Vedu” application has gone offline and is currently non-functional, effectively cutting off access to the infringing service. Authorities are also examining whether the app could resurface under alternate domains or formats, a common tactic used by piracy operators to evade enforcement.

Industry executives said the case underscores growing collaboration between content owners and law enforcement agencies to combat digital piracy. “App-based piracy is increasingly organised and commercial in nature. The integration of advertising networks shows how these platforms are evolving into structured businesses,” said a media executive, requesting anonymity.

The development highlights the broader challenge faced by streaming platforms as piracy shifts toward app-based ecosystems capable of reaching millions of users at scale. With premium and exclusive content emerging as a key driver of subscriptions, enforcement actions such as this are expected to intensify.