Fresh arrests in piracy case of Zubeen Garg’s ‘Roi Roi Binale’, crackdown on

Guwahati, Dec 9: Two more persons were arrested from Bengaluru in connection with the alleged piracy of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s last film Roi Roi Binale, which was released on October 31, police said on Monday.

The arrests come amid an intensified crackdown ordered by the Assam government after the film’s makers alleged that pirated copies were circulating online within days of its release, severely impacting the musical’s historic run.

According to officials, those arrested were identified as Md Saddam Hussain and Mousam Gogoi. Hussain was apprehended on Saturday, while Gogoi was nabbed on Sunday, they said.

Another person, Md Rofidul Islam, was arrested in Kokrajhar on November 20 for allegedly uploading video clips from the film on his YouTube channel Rafiqul R Vlogs.

A case was registered at the cyber police station in Panbazar on the basis of a complaint filed by the film's producer, Shyamantak Gautam, alleging that the film was being uploaded on the internet within a few days of its release.

The producer had earlier said that the team was shocked to see multiple unauthorised uploads surfacing online even as the film was drawing record crowds, calling the piracy a “deep blow” to the industry and to Garg’s final work.

Following the complaint, the Assam government directed the police to launch a coordinated crackdown on those involved in leaking or circulating pirated content of the film, warning that strict legal action would follow against anyone aiding the offence.

Emotions ran high since the pre-dawn release of Garg's swan song on October 31, with the musical breaking box office records and becoming the highest-grossing film in the history of the Assamese film industry, earning over Rs 33 crore.

The makers said the piracy threat risked undermining both the film’s commercial momentum and its sentimental value to audiences across the state.

With inputs from PTI