IPTV piracy network busted, JioStar files FIR in Chhattisgarh

JioStar India has filed First Information Report against an alleged IPTV piracy network operating in Chhattisgarh, accusing it of illegally retransmitting the company's television channels and OTT content through unauthorised internet-based distribution systems.

An FIR (a copy of which is with e4m) has been registered at Baikunthpur Police Station in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh, against Rajeev Panjiyara and Citynet Infra Pvt Ltd under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Copyright Act, and the Information Technology Act.

The complaint, filed on behalf of JioStar alleges that copyrighted television channels and content available on the company's OTT platform JioHotstar were being illegally redistributed through IPTV infrastructure without authorisation.

According to the FIR registered on May 30, 2026, the alleged offences fall under Sections 303 and 314 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright Act, 1957, and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Read On: #e4mExclusive: IPTV racket busted in Tamil Nadu; UAE-based handler linked to cable piracy network

Investigation points to unauthorised IPTV distribution

The complaint states that JioStar, which owns and operates several television channels and the JioHotstar streaming platform, possesses exclusive copyright and broadcasting rights over its content. The company alleged that these rights were being violated through unauthorised IPTV-based retransmission and public communication of its channels and OTT programming.

As part of an investigation conducted on May 24, 2026, company representatives allegedly identified a network linked to Citynet Infra Pvt Ltd located in Ward No. 7, School Para, Baikunthpur, Chhattisgarh. The FIR claims that while the operator may have authorisation for cable television distribution through conventional CATV networks, it does not possess any licence or permission to distribute content through IPTV systems, OTT rebroadcasting, internet protocol-based streaming, or similar digital delivery mechanisms.

The complaint further alleges that electronic evidence collected during the investigation demonstrated that copyrighted JioStar content was being retransmitted through IPTV channels without authorisation.

Amazon Fire TV device seized as evidence

According to the FIR, investigators documented and recorded the alleged streaming activity using a device identified as "City Digital" Fire Stick. The device was connected to an Amazon Fire TV interface and was allegedly used to access various IPTV channel categories through which copyrighted content was being made available.

The investigations identified unauthorised retransmission of several channels belonging to the entertainment, movies, sports and children's programming segments.

Among the entertainment channels allegedly found on the IPTV platform were Star Plus, Star Bharat, Star Utsav, Colors and Colors Rishtey. Movie channels included Star Gold, Star Gold 2, Star Gold Thrills and Star Gold Select. Sports offerings allegedly included Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports Select 2. Children's channels allegedly available through the service included Disney Channel, Super Hungama, Hungama TV and Disney Junior.

Investigators also claimed to have found local channels identified as CCN Aradhya 13 and CCN Aradhya being distributed through the same IPTV environment.

Read On: ₹8 cr illegal IPTV racket expands across 3 states

JioStar alleges large-scale copyright infringement

The complaint argues that JioHotstar's copyrighted content was streamed continuously for 24 hours without any valid authorisation from the rights holder. It further alleges that the operator lacked any permission to receive, retransmit, stream, publicly communicate or commercially exploit JioStar channels or content available through JioHotstar.

The company contends that the alleged activities amount to commercial exploitation of copyrighted works and unauthorised use of intellectual property rights vested in the broadcaster and streaming platform.

JioStar also argued that unauthorised downloading, storage, distribution, retransmission and public communication of copyrighted content through digital networks constitutes offences under both copyright and information technology laws.

Broader anti-piracy crackdown

The FIR forms part of a broader industry-wide campaign by broadcasters and OTT platforms to tackle IPTV-based piracy, which has emerged as one of the fastest-growing forms of content theft in India. IPTV piracy networks typically aggregate premium television channels and streaming content and distribute them through internet-based applications and set-top devices at significantly discounted rates.

The complaint notes that such activities cause substantial financial and reputational harm to content owners and broadcasters by undermining legitimate subscription revenues and licensed distribution networks.

Police have registered the case and initiated an investigation. The FIR records that electronic evidence, video recordings, timestamps, forensic fingerprints and other technical materials have been collected and submitted to support the allegations.

The company has also submitted corporate documents, including records relating to the transition from Star India Pvt Ltd to JioStar India Pvt Ltd, as part of the complaint.

Authorities will now examine the evidence and determine whether charges can be sustained against the accused parties under criminal copyright, technology and property-related provisions.