JioStar complaint leads to Andhra Police crackdown on pirated IPTV App network

In a major crackdown on digital piracy, police in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district have taken action against a local cable operator (LCO) for allegedly selling subscriptions to a pirated streaming application and promoting its use among cable operators in villages surrounding Pirangipuram.

The Pirangipuram Police Station registered FIR on July 20, 2026, at 8:30 pm, under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — which deals with cheating — and Section 63A of the Copyright Act. The case was filed following a written complaint by JioStar.

According to the FIR, the complainant stated that the accused, a resident of Pirangipuram Village in Guntur district, was actively involved in the local promotion of an application called "Star Share IPTV" and was allegedly selling paid subscriptions to the app without any licence or authorisation.

The complaint alleges that the accused was unlawfully streaming copyrighted content belonging to JioStar, and that during the course of an enquiry, the complainants gathered evidence through local sources corroborating the unauthorised streaming of the broadcaster's content.

The complaint characterises the acts as continuous and deliberate, resulting in "grave financial loss" to the company and infringing its statutory and proprietary rights. The accused is alleged to have been hosting, streaming, distributing and monetising copyrighted content without permission.

The alleged offence is stated to have occurred at Phirangipuram Village and Mandal in Guntur district.

Case Registered, Investigation Underway

Police have stated that, acting swiftly on the complaint, they conducted a raid at the control room operated by the accused, who is said to be a Local Cable Operator (LCO) affiliated with Siti Vision. During the operation, officials say they seized a mobile phone and a desktop computer allegedly used to sell and promote subscriptions to the pirated application. The accused was subsequently taken into police custody for questioning, according to police.

Police officials told e4m that the matter is being treated as a case of copyright infringement carried out through unauthorised app-based distribution of pay-TV content, with multiple channels — including ETV, among others — reported to be among those pirated. This reflects a growing concern for broadcasters as pirated streaming applications proliferate in smaller towns and villages, often distributed informally through local cable networks.

Police officials stated that further investigation is underway to identify the extent of the illegal operation and ascertain whether others were involved in the distribution and promotion of the pirated service. Further details on the scale of the alleged piracy operation, the full list of channels affected, the number of subscribers involved, and whether other individuals or cable operators in the region were part of the network are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.

Broader Context

The case adds to a string of recent enforcement actions against local cable operators and small distributors accused of reselling pirated OTT and IPTV subscriptions, as broadcasters step up efforts to protect subscription revenue from unauthorised streaming services operating outside formal licensing arrangements.

Copyright holders have increasingly relied on local intelligence-gathering and formal police complaints, as seen in this case, to identify and act against operators allegedly monetising pirated content at the grassroots level.

Police have indicated that the investigation is ongoing and further legal action will depend on the evidence gathered during the probe. The action underscores the commitment of law enforcement agencies to combat digital piracy and protect the interests of the broadcasting and entertainment industry.