Cable operator turns bedroom into illegal broadcast hub, booked by Gujarat police
Police investigations further revealed that one of the accused, cable operator Hardik Jagani, did possess documentation from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting permitting him to operate cable TV services.
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In a major crackdown on piracy, Gujarat Police have booked two men for allegedly running an illegal broadcast operation of JioStar channels from their own bedroom, which they had converted into a piracy hub. The police have now sealed the property and are investigating the matter.
The accused, identified as Dinesh Maulya and Hardik Jagani, were caught transmitting pirated television content to hundreds of households, prompting JioStar to lodge a formal complaint.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) accessed by Storyboard18, both the accused were operating under the banner Dessert Saurashtra Entertainment Limited. Using their NXT Digital set-top box, they pirated JioStar’s linear TV channels and illegally distributed the content to more than 500 homes within Sultanpur police jurisdiction.
Authorities revealed that the pirated content included some of India’s most-watched entertainment channels such as Star Plus and Colors, which were being broadcast without authorization. The residence used for the transmission has now been sealed by the police, and equipment used in the illegal operation will be confiscated.
The case was initiated following a complaint by Nilesh Sawant (44), an executive from JioStar Private Limited. Sawant alleged that despite an earlier complaint lodged on August 14, the accused continued to transmit pirated content without approval from JioStar.
“The illegal distribution of JioStar’s linear TV channels is not only a violation of intellectual property rights and copyright laws but also causes direct financial losses to the company and impacts lawful distributors,” Sawant stated in his complaint.
Police investigations further revealed that one of the accused, cable operator Hardik Jagani, did possess documentation from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting permitting him to operate cable TV services. However, Jagani had neither acquired a license from JioStar nor signed any content distribution agreement with the company, making the broadcasts unauthorized.
An officer privy to the probe confirmed, “A case under Sections 318(3), 54, 63, 65, and 51 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against both accused. We have sealed the premises used for broadcasting and will be seizing all related equipment. Further investigation is ongoing.”
Police officials confirmed that further investigation will focus on whether the accused were operating independently or had ties with larger piracy networks. Authorities are also looking into subscriber data to determine how widely the pirated content was distributed.
In August 2025, a case was 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 Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had cancelled the cable operators broadcasting license in 2024 due to regulatory violations. Despite the cancellation, the operator reportedly continued to transmit copyrighted content unlawfully.
