18 November,2025 07:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Nagarjuna Akkineni
Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni recently revealed that one of his family members was subjected to a 'digital arrest' by fraudsters for two days, six months ago. The Telugu superstar was speaking at a press conference with city Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and other film personalities. Nagarjuna said the perpetrators vanished quickly once the police intervened.
"I remember in my own house, about six months ago, the same thing happened. One of my family members was digitally arrested for two days. These organisations (fraudulent) will track us and try to find out our weaknesses," the actor told reporters.
When contacted, a senior police official told PTI that no complaint had been filed by Nagarjuna regarding the incident. The official, however, said the fraudsters must have disappeared once the police got involved.
Sajjanar was addressing the press conference on the arrest of Emmadi Ravi, who runs several websites that screen pirated movies. Cautioning people to be wary of fraudulent websites, Nagarjuna said the Telangana Police "did an excellent job by arresting the accused." He added that not only the Telugu film industry but also movies in other languages would benefit from the crackdown on pirates.
Digital arrest is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or government personnel, intimidate victims through audio or video calls, and hold them hostage to extort money.
Top film personalities, including actors Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna Akkineni and director S S Rajamouli, met Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar and appreciated the efforts of the police. The arrest follows a comprehensive investigation into the piracy of several newly released Telugu films, including 'Kantara Chapter 1' and 'Mirai', which were illegally uploaded on a network and its associated extension websites, the release said.
The Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) had earlier reported that several such websites, along with about 65 associated mirror domains, were illegally uploading and distributing copyrighted Telugu films without authorisation.
These platforms were allegedly hosting newly released theatrical and OTT films in HD quality, causing "massive financial losses to producers, distributors, and exhibitors", it said.
The complaint said the operators frequently changed domains, used Cloudflare for anonymity, and attracted millions of users, resulting in recurring losses to the Telugu film industry.
It sought a full investigation, blocking of the websites, tracing the operators, and legal action. During the investigation, police identified three individuals as prime accused, including the alleged mastermind Ravi Emandi. While two were arrested in September, Emandi was arrested two days ago.
