Just days after TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna publicly declared that drug peddlers would be detained under the Goondas Act as part of the party’s crackdown on narcotics and illegal activities, the Tamil Nadu government has now invoked the same stringent law against three individuals accused in the online piracy and leak of the film Jana Nayagan raising fresh concerns over the expanding use of preventive detention laws under the new TVK administration.
According to officials, three accused S. Prashanth, S. Selvam and Bala alias Balakrishnan were detained under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, commonly known as the Goondas Act, in connection with the alleged piracy and illegal online dissemination of Jana Nayagan. The State Cyber Crime Wing had registered the case on April 11 following complaints regarding the circulation of the film through digital platforms, as reported in The Hindu.
Police stated that the detention orders were executed on May 13 after investigators collected technical evidence and concluded that the accused were allegedly involved in organised digital piracy activities, including theft, processing and online distribution of the pirated version of the movie.
However, the move has triggered criticism over what many see as the increasingly aggressive and sweeping use of the Goondas Act by the TVK-led government.
Only days earlier, Aadhav Arjuna, while addressing reporters after a review meeting in Chennai’s Villivakkam constituency, had announced that drug sellers would be booked under the Goondas Act in order to “eliminate drug culture.” He had also spoken about shutting down TASMAC outlets, arresting operators of illegal liquor shops, enforcing surveillance through CCTV cameras across police stations and streets, and ensuring stricter policing mechanisms, as reported in Tamil ABP Live.
One wonders whether a law originally intended for habitual offenders and threats to public order is gradually being normalised for a widening range of offences – from narcotics cases to digital copyright violations.
It is observed that preventive detention laws like the Goondas Act allow authorities to imprison individuals for extended periods without a regular criminal trial, based on the claim that their activities threaten public order. Such laws are vulnerable to misuse, especially when governments begin applying them beyond violent or organised criminal activity.
The detention of piracy accused under the same law that TVK ministers recently vowed to use against drug networks has intensified concerns that the Vijay-led administration may be moving toward an increasingly surveillance-heavy and punitive model of governance, where extraordinary legal provisions are becoming routine administrative tools.
While online piracy is unquestionably illegal and punishable under existing criminal and cyber laws, invoking preventive detention legislation in such cases raises serious questions about proportionality, due process and the future scope of state power under the new government.
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