CD 'traders' have links in Hong Kong

PATNA: The recent success of the Patna police in busting a mini factory involved in manufacturing pirated CDs of new Hindi films is also a manifestation of the city’s growing image as the safest place for operating crime from here. The mini factory supplied pirated compact discs of new Hindi films to Delhi and Mumbai besides other places.
“Police investigation in this case is in a nascent stage.But there is no denying the fact that the city-based gang involved in this illegal business had links in Hong Kong and Dubai�, remarked a senior police officer, associated with investigation of the case. In fact, the police believed the gang was procuring master CDs of new Hindi films directly from overseas.
Police sources disclosed that foreign-based gangs involved in this business selected Patna as their India centre for production and supply of pirated CDs after raids by the police on their hideouts in Izara Estate area in Kolkata, Palika parking and Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi.
Earlier, a police team led by Town DSP, R K Dubey, seized various equipment meant for producing pirated CDs including 15 CD writers and Rs 87,000 in cash from a house located near Lovely Hotel in Mahendru area under the Pirbahore police station on Wednesday. The police continue to conduct raids at different places in the city to arrest one Manoj Sahu, alleged kingpin of the racket involved in producing such pirated CDs.
In fact, Patna’s emergence as a manufacturing centre of pirated CDs has badly affected the fate of film distributors of Bihar and Jharkhand in the recent past. “The film ‘Tujhe meri kasam’ continues to evoke a good response in Bihar and its adjacent states. In fact, the producer concerned has so far not released the film abroad�, informed Raghubansh Singh, president of Bihar Motion Pictures Association. Singh’s statement is another pointer to the city’s link with the foreign-based gang involved in the business of pirated CDs. Moreover, the pirated CD of this particular film available in the market appeared to have been recorded in cinema halls. Earlier, a police team led by Dubey had recently seized a large number of pirated CDs of this film from Bakarganj market.
In July last year, Smita Thakeray, president of India Motion Pictures Association had visited the city in order to seek co-operation of the state government to check the supply of pirated CDs. This is the first major success achieved by the police in this regard after Smita’s departure from the city.