Rajasthan cops book cable operator turned YouTuber for running piracy den near police station

In an unusual case of cable TV piracy operating in plain sight, the Rajasthan Police have busted a piracy racket allegedly run by Pranay Kothari, a local cable operator and YouTube content creator, from an office located just a short distance from the Banswara police station. The police have seized infringing materials and digital equipment used in the illegal broadcast of pay-TV channels.

According to officials, Kothari, who runs Goldy Diginet Private Limited, had been providing unauthorized television channels to over 4,000 local subscribers for around ₹300 per month. Alongside his cable operations, he also maintained a YouTube channel named BBC Rajasthan with over 35,000 subscribers.

“The accused operated barely a few meters away from the police station, showing both audacity and a deep sense of impunity,” said an officer involved in the case. The police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations into his digital assets and financial transactions.

The First Information Report (FIR) filed at Banswara police station was based on a complaint by Jio Star, which alleged that Goldy Diginet failed to comply with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s interconnection regulations. The company reportedly did not submit the mandatory Digital Addressable System (DAS) audit reports for 2022 to 2024, despite repeated verbal and written reminders. These audits are required to ensure transparency and to prevent unauthorized signal distribution.

As per the FIR, after multiple defaults and non-payment of dues, Jio Star discontinued Goldy Diginet’s access to its channels. However, Kothari allegedly resumed transmission without authorization, using consumer-level set-top boxes to distribute pay-TV channels to local households. Jio Star described this act as signal theft, which falls under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and also constitutes criminal copyright infringement under Sections 37, 51, and 63 of the Copyright Act.

Jio Star further claimed that the illegal operation led to “substantial financial losses” for both the broadcaster and the government, while violating broadcasting reproduction rights guaranteed under copyright law. The company’s complaint also referenced a 1999 Delhi High Court judgment (Jabalpur Cable Network Pvt. Ltd. vs. SET Software India Pvt. Ltd.), which established that television signals are protected intellectual property — emphasizing the seriousness of the alleged offense.

Industry experts note that the case reflects a recurring pattern among smaller cable operators who fail to comply with TRAI’s audit and reporting requirements. “Many local operators neglect compliance despite repeated reminders. When broadcasters suspend their services, these operators often resort to piracy to retain their customers, exposing themselves to legal action,” said a senior industry official.

The proximity of Kothari’s illegal setup to the police station has raised questions about how such operations manage to function unchecked. Investigators are now probing whether similar unauthorized rebroadcasting networks exist in neighboring districts, and whether the YouTube channel linked to Kothari was used to expand or promote his pirated offerings.

The Rajasthan Police have said that further arrests may follow as they examine digital evidence and network connections, calling the case a “wake-up call” for stricter enforcement against local broadcast piracy and its growing crossover with digital content platforms.