July, 17: In an enforcement action against cable piracy, Odisha Police have registered an FIR against a cable operator based in Korei, Jajpur district, following a complaint by JioStar under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Sections 37, 51, 63 & 65 of the Copyright Act, 1957.  

Following the registration of the FIR, police officials conducted a raid at the premises of the accused and seized equipment alleged to have been used for the unauthorized retransmission of television channels, including nine modulators, twenty DTH set-top boxes, one optical node and one mixer. The accused was taken into custody for further interrogation. 
 
The FIR records allegations of unlawfully retransmitting JioStar television channels through the cable network and further alleges that it was sourcing broadcast feeds using consumer Direct-to-Home (DTH) set-top boxes, which are intended solely for residential viewing. Electronic evidence submitted with the complaint is stated to document the unauthorized transmission of JioStar channels.  
 
Following the action, the unauthorized retransmission of JioStar channels has ceased, based on post-enforcement monitoring, and no further instances of piracy have been detected in the area. 
 
The development reflects continued coordination between rights holders and law enforcement agencies to address organized cable piracy networks and curb the unauthorized retransmission of premium television content.