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EXCLUSIVE: WhatsApp chat group busts 10,000-channel IPTV network linked to Pakistan
Investigators found that the accused coordinated with a Pakistan-based pirate, paying in cryptocurrency to obtain copyrighted content.
According to the FIR (a copy of which is with Storyboard18), filed on July 27, 2025, the accused allegedly streamed and distributed copyrighted content from JioStar India Pvt. Ltd. and its OTT platform JioHotstar without authorization.
Ghaziabad Police have uncovered an international piracy racket after tracing a WhatsApp group linked to the illegal streaming of over 10,000 TV channels, including banned Pakistani networks. The operation culminated in the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against a 35-year-old businessman accused of running an illicit Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) service in collaboration with handlers across the border.
The investigation began when sleuths from the Tilamod Police Station zeroed in on a phone number tied to a WhatsApp group suspected of facilitating illegal access to premium television channels. The trail eventually led to the blocking of at least 53 domains that were circulating pirated content under the brand name “IPTV World.”
According to the FIR (a copy of which is with Storyboard18), filed on July 27, 2025, the accused allegedly streamed and distributed copyrighted content from JioStar India Pvt. Ltd. and its OTT platform JioHotstar without authorization. The pirated content included channels such as Star Plus HD, Star Bharat HD, Colors HD, and Pakistani networks Hadi TV and Noor TV, the latter raising national security concerns.
Investigators found that the accused coordinated with a Pakistan-based pirate, paying in cryptocurrency to obtain copyrighted content. The illicit service was offered to customers primarily via the WhatsApp group, with payments routed through UPI accounts. A senior officer involved in the probe said, “The modus operandi of the accused was to provide services through WhatsApp groups, which became the key lead in our investigation.”
The complaint filed by JioStar India accused IPTV World of bypassing technical protection measures, hosting pirated content on servers linked to providers such as Hostinger and GoDaddy, and illegally distributing copyrighted material in violation of the Copyright Act, the Information Technology Act, and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
JioStar India Pvt. Ltd., exercising its statutory rights under the Copyright Act, had filed a John Doe suit before the Delhi High Court against an IPTV service operating a vast piracy racket. The civil proceedings led to an unexpected, first of its kind breakthrough, the unmasking of a WhatsApp group as the central hub orchestrating illegal access to premium Indian channels such as Star Plus HD, Star Bharat HD, and Colors HD, as well as Pakistani networks Hadi TV and Noor TV- the latter raising serious national security concerns.
The proceedings revealed that the network’s setup, financing, content sourcing, and distribution via WhatsApp and Facebook were all being organised from Pakistan. This marks the first time the entire life cycle of premium content piracy, from origin to delivery, has been fully exposed and deciphered.
When served in the civil suit, the service provider’s owner appeared voluntarily, agreeing to suffer a permanent injunction and to fully disclose the network’s operations, including business associates, 300 infringing URLs, APIs, and other distribution platforms. These disclosures unveiled a coordinated pattern of cross-border collaboration, cryptocurrency payments, and deliberate circumvention of content protection measures, demonstrating that the piracy was being organised, orchestrated, and promoted from Pakistan.
Storyboard18 had earlier reported that a case has been registered against a cable operator, Hazi Ali, in Rani, Rajasthan, for allegedly broadcasting linear television channels owned by Jio Star India Private Limited without proper authorization or licensing. The action follows a complaint filed by Deepak Kumar Rajput, a representative of Jio Star India Pvt. Ltd., who accompanied the Rajasthan police during a raid on the premises.
The First Information Report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Storyboard18, reveals that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had previously cancelled Hazi Ali’s broadcasting license in 2024 due to regulatory violations. Despite the cancellation, the operator reportedly continued to transmit copyrighted content unlawfully.
Acting on the complaint, Sub-Inspector Jakir Ali, along with police officers Prakash Kumar, Rakesh, and Amritlal, conducted a raid on a relay room in Rani operated by the accused. On arrival, the police team encountered an individual who identified himself as an employee of Hazi Ali. During the inspection, Rajput used an IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder) to verify that Jio Star programming, including popular channels like Star Utsav, was being broadcast without any legal agreement or license.
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