Police, film pirates hand in glove

On Thursday, CNN-IBN's Special Investigation Team had exposed how ow the trade of piracy is flourishing in the heart of the Capital - Pallika Bazaar.

After the expose, the team followed up another exclusive and exposed how those meant to police and prevent piracy are in fact a part of the well-oiled racket.
The team had earlier exposed Jasbir Gill, one of the biggest operators of the piracy business in Delhi.

Based on a tip off given to them by the Anti-Piracy Cell of the Delhi Police, police officials of the District Investigation Unit (DIU) agreed to raid Jasbir Gill's residence.
However, there was a hitch.

Senior Inspector DIU, Arvind Sharma, agreed to conduct a raid only after accepting a bribe from the Anti-Piracy Cell.

He even claimed that some senior police officials were aware of the fact that he accepted bribes, implying that a share of the money reached them as well.

After taking the money from the Anti-Piracy Cell, Sharma and his plain clothes men raided Jasbir Gill's basement at his residence where they seized boxes stacked to the ceiling full of DVD's.

However, sometime later, the FIR and seizure memo told a shockingly different story.
The seizure memo mentions just a few foreign films, 40 Hindi pornographic films and 25 inlay cards.

There was no mention of the lakhs of DVDs that the Special Investigation Team saw and captured on the hidden camera or the 22 CD writers used to make pirated CDs.
Why was the FIR manipulated?

This conversation between Jasbir Gill and Arvind Sharma, all caught on a hidden camera makes things clear.

Jasbir Singh to Arvind Sharma: "Police officials come to Pallika Bazaar everyday but I have a deal with them and I have never been arrested. My daughter is getting married on May 27, I will come after that and give you Rs two-three lakh."

The copy of the FIR, which is in the Special Investigation Team's possession is an example of the cozy relationship that exists between the film pirates and the police.

The team also learnt that when senior Delhi Police officials heard of the raid conducted at the behest of the Anti-Piracy Cell, orders were passed for another raid on Gill's residence.
However, Gill was apparently informed by his accquaintances in the Delhi Police and the team caught him emptying his godown on camera, loading the DVD boxes into a truck and his car.
And Delhi is not the only city where the nexus of pirates operates with the knowledge of police officials.

Though senior police officials are aware of the seriousness and extent of the problem, they say that cracking down on piracy is not on their list of priorities.
DCP Mumbai, Ravindra Sengaokar says, "Dacoity, murder and other crimes are priority. Law and order is priority not cracking down on film piracy."

Manipulated FIRs and the actual culprits out at large - all with the blessings of the police. No wonder film piracy is alive and kicking in India.