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Jolly LLB 3 leaks spur police probe, rogue apps found earning ₹10 crore monthly
Police sources said they are now on the verge of seizing the linked bank accounts and UPI IDs used to channel these illicit revenues, in an effort to cripple the funding base of the piracy operations.
According to the First Information Report (accessed by Storyboard18), pirate platforms Castle, FlixFlox, MobMax, and Pikashow, along with websites such as Cinevood and 1Tamilmv, illegally uploaded and distributed Jolly LLB 3
JioStar India Pvt. Ltd. has filed a complaint with the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Police Station, Bengaluru, alleging large-scale piracy of its newly released film Jolly LLB 3. Crucially, investigators found that the operators of these piracy networks are allegedly earning ₹10 crore to ₹15 crore every month from subscriptions and advertisements.
According to the First Information Report (accessed by Storyboard18), pirate platforms Castle, FlixFlox, MobMax, and Pikashow, along with websites such as Cinevood and 1Tamilmv, illegally uploaded and distributed Jolly LLB 3 without authorization. JioStar stressed that it holds the exclusive copyright over the film, making such actions punishable under the Copyright Act, 1957.
The complaint cites multiple illegal applications and websites that made the movie available within hours of its theatrical release on September 19, 2025. In 2024, JioStar had registered a similar FIR against Castle TV in Vijayawada Hyderabad. The nexus was operated by a CISF jawan posted at Bhabha Atomic Research Center.
The company noted that these rogue applications operate on different business models. Pikashow streamed the film free of charge while generating revenue through advertisements, particularly promoting illegal betting services such as 1xBet and Melbet. Meanwhile, Castle, FlixFlox, and MobMax offered subscription packages ranging from ₹109 per month to ₹919 annually, also displaying betting ads.
Police sources said they are now on the verge of seizing the linked bank accounts and UPI IDs used to channel these illicit revenues, in an effort to cripple the funding base of the piracy operations. "The suspects used cam recorders in theatres to capture the film and released on their subscription based platforms. We will be seizing the bank accounts."
An official said, "The suspects reached out to users via Telegram and WhatsApp and offered subscription based services and we have recieved multiple UPI Ids which will be used to trace the suspects."
Investigations revealed that the apps share a common backend infrastructure and even accept payments through the same UPI handles linked to entities such as Digi Factory And Tech and Audiva FM Pvt. Ltd.. Collectively, these apps are estimated to have over 50 million downloads, causing what JioStar described as "massive financial losses" to the company and the wider entertainment industry.
Technical evidence submitted includes details of app package IDs, hosting servers, Firebase repositories, and mirror domains. For instance, Castle is hosted via Cloudflare (US-based) while FlixFlox, MobMax, and Pikashow also run on similar infrastructures. The complaint also listed multiple domains under the pirate brands Cinevood and 1Tamilmv.
Police records indicate that the complaint has been registered under Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, which covers cognizable and non-bailable offences. The filing requests immediate action against app owners, operators, and financial facilitators, as well as the takedown or blocking of the platforms.
Recently, the Delhi High Court had issued the first-ever pre-release injunction order to protect a Bollywood film from piracy, directing internet service providers (ISPs), domain name registrars (DNRs), and government authorities to block dozens of rogue websites attempting to illegally stream or distribute Jolly LLB 3.
The order (accessed by Storyboard18), passed by Justice Tejas Karia in the case Jiostar India Pvt. Ltd. vs Vegamovies.yachts & Ors., marks a significant step in India’s fight against online piracy of films. The court restrained 24 piracy websites—including notorious platforms such as Vegamovies, Filmyzilla, Bolly4u, Moviesflix, and TamilMV—from hosting, streaming, or making the upcoming film available for download without authorization.
In a parallel development, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to halt the release and screening of Jolly LLB 3, slated to hit theatres on September 19. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi dismissed the plea filed by Syeda Neelufur, while imposing a cost of ₹50,000 on the petitioner for what it termed an unwarranted misuse of judicial time.
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