Home / Crime and Justice / 25-Year Piracy Case Ends: Man Jailed for 'Gadar' VCD Copy
25-Year Piracy Case Ends: Man Jailed for 'Gadar' VCD Copy
19 Sep
Summary
- A man was jailed 25 years after illegally copying the movie Gadar on VCD.
- He received a one-and-a-half-year sentence and a fine of Rs 3,500.
- The illegal screening occurred in Agra via a local cable network in 2001.
In Agra, a 55-year-old man has been sentenced to one-and-a-half years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 3,500 for copyright infringement. The conviction stems from an incident in 2001 when, at the age of 30, he illegally copied the film "Gadar" onto a VCD and broadcast it through his local cable network.
The case proceeded after a complaint from a cinema manager regarding illegal screenings. Authorities raided the cable network's control room, seized a VCD, and registered a case under the Copyright Act and the UP Cinemas (Regulation) Act. A charge sheet was filed in June 2001.
During the trial, the prosecution presented witnesses who testified that the movie was shown without a license. The defense argued it was a first offense and attributed the act to patriotic sentiment, noting the incident's age.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate's court acknowledged the lengthy judicial proceedings, stating that an excessively harsh punishment was unnecessary. The court concluded that justice objectives could be met with the imposed sentence and fine.
