Cable Piracy Crackdown: JioStar Complaints Lead to Raids, Arrests in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh

04 Aug 2026, 12:53 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

JioStar has intensified its crackdown on illegal cable television distribution, with coordinated enforcement drives in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh leading to multiple arrests, the registration of criminal cases, and the seizure of equipment allegedly used to retransmit its pay television channels without authorisation.

The operations, carried out with the support of local police, targeted cable operators accused of commercially redistributing JioStar’s broadcast signals using consumer-grade Direct-to-Home (DTH) infrastructure. According to the company, post-enforcement verification found that the unauthorised transmission of its channels had stopped entirely in the affected networks, with no fresh instances of piracy detected following the raids.

One of the largest actions unfolded in Odisha’s Puri district, where Brahmagiri Police launched simultaneous operations after registering two First Information Reports (FIRs) on July 30, 2026. The cases were filed under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957.

During a late-night raid at a cable headend operated by Hemant Jena in Village Gambhari, police arrested him at the site. Officers also confiscated equipment allegedly used in the illegal retransmission of television channels, including LNBs, set-top boxes, an optical transmitter, an optical node and multiple modulators.

At the same time, another enforcement team raided the premises of M/s Sukhimani Communications in Rebena Nuagaon. Although its proprietor, Narayan Mangraj, was not present and is currently absconding, police seized several devices believed to have been used for unauthorised broadcasting. The recovered equipment included multiple Sun Direct set-top boxes, a hybrid amplifier, a Catvision optical transmitter and various modulators.

Separate action in Madhya Pradesh followed on August 1, 2026, when Shamgarh Police Station in Mandsaur district registered an FIR against Riddhi Siddhi Cable Network. The case was filed under Sections 37, 51, 63, 65 and 65A of the Copyright Act, 1957.

After the FIR was lodged, police raided the cable network’s control room and arrested one of its partners. Investigators seized televisions, transmitters, optical receivers, DTH equipment and other networking devices that were allegedly being used to facilitate piracy.

The investigation found that the operator was sourcing television feeds through consumer DTH connections and commercially redistributing them to nearly 2,800 set-top boxes installed across the region, in violation of copyright laws.

JioStar said the enforcement drives highlight sustained cooperation between content owners and law enforcement agencies in dismantling organised cable piracy networks. Reiterating its zero-tolerance approach to content theft, the broadcaster said it will continue pursuing legal action against operators found illegally distributing its copyrighted television signals.