Tamil Rockers admin arrested by Kerala Cyber Crime Police
The notorious piracy website Tamil Rockers has suffered a major blow as its admin, Jeb Stephen Raj, was apprehended by the Kerala Cyber Crime Police. The 33-year-old from Madurai was caught red-handed in Thiruvananthapuram while illegally recording the movie "Raayan" in a theatre.
Tamil Rockers is infamous for its prompt distribution of pirated movies, often uploading films on the same day as their theatrical release. A recent victim of this piracy was the Malayalam film "Guruvayurappan Ambalanadai," which appeared on the site just one day after its debut. The film’s producer, Supriya Menon, who is also the wife of popular star Prithviraj Sukumaran, reported the incident to the cybercrime police, triggering an investigation.
During the probe, authorities discovered that Stephen Raj possessed numerous pirated copies of recent films, including "Kalki" and "Maharaja." He employed a clever tactic to record movies by placing his phone in a cup holder attached to the theatre seat. For each new film, Tamil Rockers reportedly compensated him with ₹5,000.
Stephen Raj had been residing in a guesthouse in Thiruvananthapuram for about a year and a half, maintaining a secretive relationship with the Tamil Rockers group. His phone, valued at one lakh rupees, contained a significant amount of pirated content.
Despite his arrest, Stephen Raj is not the owner of Tamil Rockers. Authorities are now intensifying efforts to track down and apprehend the main operators behind the notorious piracy network. The arrest marks a significant step in combating film piracy, but the fight continues as the police aim to dismantle the entire operation.