Vijay’s Jana Nayagan was stolen and released online by freelance film editor: Cybercrime police

CHENNAI: A freelance film editor had trespassed into a studio and stolen the Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan before leaking it online, said the state cybercrime police on Thursday. The unidentified film editor is among six people arrested in connection with the film leak.Investigators said he copied the film to a pen drive, converted it into a complete movie file and shared it with two associates. The co-accused then circulated the pirated version through online portals, leading to its widespread distribution. Based on digital evidence and technical analysis, the cybercrime wing identified and arrested the three accused. A senior police officer said, “We narrowed down on the suspects using scientific evidence to confirm their role in stealing and leaking the movie online.” The arrested trio were produced before a magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody.The case was registered on April 11 after the unauthorised circulation of the film across multiple online platforms. Police said the main accused, who worked as a freelance assistant editor on another project, gained unauthorised access to an editing studio where the film’s footage was stored.Police arrested six people on Sunday for circulating and downloading the film online.Officials said further investigation was under way to identify others involved in the distribution network.