Delhi: Man held for printing, selling pirated Penguin Random House books

Delhi Police arrested Jwala Prasad for his alleged involvement in a massive book piracy racket. Over 20,137 pirated copies of Penguin Random House books were seized from Rohini, and a printing press used for the illegal operation was busted.

A man was arrested by the Inter-State Cell (ISC) of Delhi Police's Crime Branch for his alleged involvement in illegal printing and sale of pirated books belonging to Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd, officials said on Wednesday.

According to officials, the arrested accused has been identified as Jwala Prasad. The operation led to the unearthing of a large-scale network engaged in the unauthorised printing, storage, and distribution of copyrighted books.

Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd., a leading publishing house, holds the intellectual property rights over the seized material.

The accused was reportedly a key figure in the racket, facilitating the production and circulation of counterfeit copies in violation of copyright laws.

Massive Seizure in Rohini Raids

Acting on a complaint received on March 14, a raiding team in the leadership of Inspectors Satender Poonia and Sohan Lal, along with the authorised representative of the publisher, in the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramesh Chander Lamba, conducted a raid at Sector-16, Rohini, Delhi. A total of 8,593 pirated books were recovered and seized.

During further investigation, another raid at a nearby premise led to the recovery of 11,544 more pirated books, taking the total seizure to over 20,137 books.

Investigation Uncovers Printing Operation

The accused initially attempted to mislead the investigation by providing false information regarding the source of printing. However, during sustained interrogation and police custody remand, the investigation team achieved a significant breakthrough.

Acting on the disclosures and through persistent efforts, a printing setup used for illegal reproduction was uncovered. Two printing machines from a press located in Anand Parbat Industrial Area, negatives of four pirated books, and twelve printing plates used for reproducing copyrighted material were recovered.

These recoveries conclusively establish the accused's direct involvement in the end-to-end piracy operation, including the illegal printing and distribution of pirated books.

The accused has been arrested in the case. Further investigation is in progress to identify other persons involved in the piracy network. (ANI)

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