Bombay High Court Quashes FIR Against Foreign Company Booked For Unauthorisedly Broadcasting Bigg Boss, IPL 2023, Other Colors TV Shows

The Bombay High Court recently quashed a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against a Netherlands-based gaming company accused of unauthorisedly broadcasting various popular shows of Viacom 18 group such as 'Bigg Boss' 'Nagging' 'Asur' 'IPL 2023' etc, on various regional Over The Top (OTT) platforms. 

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale noted that the company - Play Ventures NV and one of its employee - Gulamabbas Muni, who is also the CEO of Sohail Khan Productions had amicably settled the issue with Viacom 18 Group, which contended to have faced losses to the tune of Rs 100 crores. 

The judges noted that the petitioners - Play Ventures and Muni, 'unauthorisedly' broadcast certain programs namely 'Asur' 'Crackdown Web series', 'Big Boss, a Reality show', 'Nagin' and 'Choti Sardarni' and other series of Colors Channel in regional languages on various OTT Platforms. These programs, the judges noted, were the 'paid content' of Viacom 18. Further, the judges noted that the petitioners also unauthorisedly broadcast the Tata IPL, 2023 series.

"It is alleged that due to this unauthorized broadcasting of TV shows and IPL series, the First Informant (Viacom 18) company suffered a loss of about Rs.100 Crores. According to the First Informant, the Petitioners had no valid license or permission to broadcast the said contents," the judges noted in the order passed on February 12. 

Therefore, the Viacom 18 approached the Nodal Cyber Police Station in Mumbai and lodged an FIR on April 20, 2023 under sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 468 (forging for cheating) and 469 (forging for harming one's reputation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the relevant provisions of the Information Technologies (IT) Act, 2000 as well as the Copyright Act, 1957.

The bench noted that the police has filed its final report before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in the city.

However, in the interregnum, the parties have 'amicably' settled their dispute. "The Settlement Agreement records comprehensively the mutual understanding between the parties to avoid prolonged dispute and litigation. It is stated that continuance of the proceedings before the Trial Court will serve no purpose," the bench noted. 

Taking note of the settlement, the bench quashed the case pending before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court and also the FIR lodged by Viacom 18 group. 

Appearance: 

Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda along with Advocates Tapan Thatte, Siddhi Sawant and Nikhil Waje instructed by Dipesh Mehta & Associates appeared for the Petitioners.

Additional Public. Prosecutor Vitthal Konde-Deshmukh represented the State.

Advocates Jay Kumar Bhardwaj and Harsh Ramchandani represented Viacom 18 Group. 

Case Title: Play Ventures NV vs State of Maharashtra (Criminal Writ Petition 821 of 2025)

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Bom) 71

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