Jana Nayagan leak case: 1.2 crore watched Vijay film illegally, police tells court

Chennai police told the Madras High Court that a leaked copy of Vijay's Jana Nayagan was watched by 1.2 crore people before certification and release. The submission came as the court rejected bail for two accused in the Jana Nayagan leak case.

In Short

• Jana Nayagan leaked illegally, watched by 1.2 crore before CBFC certification
• Madras HC denies bail to two accused over evidence tampering concerns
• Prime accused stole footage, uploaded full film on Google Drive

Chennai police told the Madras High Court on Thursday that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay's Jana Nayagan was watched illegally by as many as 1.2 crore people, when it leaked on April 9, even before it received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The submission was made during the hearing of bail petitions filed by two of the 21 accused in the Jana Nayagan leak case.

As per The Hindu report, Justice C Kumarappan refused to grant bail to the fourth accused, S Rajini, and the 11th accused, Jayaprakash, after taking note of the seriousness of the allegations regarding tampering of evidence in the ongoing investigation. The court subsequently dismissed their bail pleas.

According to the prosecution, the prime accused, a freelance film editor, allegedly stole the film's footage from an edit suite using a hard drive. Investigators claimed that he, along with two of his brothers, stitched the disjointed clips into a full-length version and uploaded it to Google Drive.

The prosecution alleged that the pirated copy was then circulated to piracy websites, including Tamil Rockers, allowing millions to watch the film before its official release. The government also told the court that the makers, KVN Productions, had obtained an interim injunction from the Madras High Court directing internet service providers to block the unauthorised exhibition of the film.

Despite those efforts, authorities estimated that nearly 1.2 crore viewers had already watched the leaked version before it was taken down. Opposing bail, the prosecution said two accused were still absconding and that a custodial investigation was necessary to trace the financial trail behind the piracy network.

The prosecution also told the court that there were concerns the accused could tamper with evidence or influence witnesses if released. It added that only a preliminary chargesheet had been filed so far and that the investigation was still under way before a final chargesheet is submitted.

Apart from the leak controversy, the film has also been caught in a tussle with the CBFC. Originally expected to release on January 9, Jana Nayagan is still awaiting clearance from the board, and the makers are yet to announce a new release date.

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