Cops held meeting with film fraternity

 The Hyderabad City Police, in the wake of unravelling one of the largest film piracy rackets in recent times, convened a high-level meeting with the members of Telugu film fraternity including heroes, producers, exhibitors, digital distribution partners to brief them on the findings, explain how the offences were being committed, and the precautions to be taken. 

During the meeting, officers detailed the two primary modes of piracy exposed in the recent investigation. In the first, offenders discreetly recorded movies inside theatres using mobile devices. In the second, cybercriminals hacked digital distribution systems well before a film’s release, illegally accessing and copying high-value original studio content. 

CP Anand said that the probe identified a number of piracy portals included TamilMV, Tail Blasters and Movierulz and showed how these sites are monetized or promoted by sponsors such as online gaming and betting operators. Pirated files are further circulated through torrent websites, Telegram channels and illegal streaming platforms. Visitor data on these sites is often harvested and used to commit additional cybercrimes, including fraud, digital arrests etc.,  

The Police Commissioner set out practical precautions for each stakeholder and emphasized the importance of robust cyber-security practices across all stakeholders, including regular audits of digital delivery platforms, strict access controls, and swift reporting of suspicious activity. Theatre owners were urged to strengthen on-ground vigilance, restrict the use of recording devices, and adopt advanced surveillance to deter in-hall piracy attempts. Production units were told to maintain a strict chain of custody for content and robust forensics, water markings. 

The film industry representatives welcomed the initiative and assured their full cooperation. Mr.Chiranjeevi, Mr.Venkatesh, Mr.Nagarjuna, Mr.Nani, Telangana Film Development Corporation chairman Mr. V. Venkata Ramana Reddy(Dil Raju) and other film fraternity members attended the meeting.