CCTV technician arrested for watching pirated 'Jana Nayagan' at election counting center

Chennai: A 31-year-old contract employee tasked with managing CCTV surveillance at a high-security Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counting center at Anna University has been arrested for watching a pirated version of the unreleased Tamil film Jana Nayagan while on duty. The accused, T. Yuvaraj, was caught after he posted a photograph on social media that showed him watching the movie on a laptop inside the control room, with official Election Commission identity credentials also visible in the frame.

According to police, Yuvaraj, a resident of Thiruvarur district, was employed by a private firm to oversee security at the facility, which houses EVMs for five assembly constituencies, including Mylapore and T. Nagar. Following a formal complaint from a Greater Chennai Corporation official, the cybercrime wing traced the viral social media post and apprehended the technician for the unauthorized activity.

This arrest marks the latest development in a broader piracy investigation surrounding the film Jana Nayagan, which has faced multiple illegal leaks since early April 2026. Authorities have now arrested at least 11 individuals in connection with the piracy scandal, including a freelance film editor accused of stealing the footage from a studio, as well as cable operators who attempted to broadcast the film illegally.

(Inputs from IANS)