(2 January 2008 10:00 pm)

NEW DELHI: Delhi police has carried out a raid operation on the multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom's west Delhi office on 30 December on the ground of piracy of Star Cricket channel.

As claimed by ESPN Star Sports (ESS), the west Delhi branch office of Hathway was found using the "Receiver and Decoders" issued for distribution of channels - ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket - in conditional access system (Cas) notified areas to transmit the signals of ESS Star Cricket channel in certain non-Cas areas of Delhi.

The office was then raided by the Delhi Police alongwith officials from ESPN India’s piracy tracking agency Prime Protection.

A Hathway manager was arrested and some hardware were seized.

When contacted, a senior Hathway executive said: "ESS has filed a complaint of piracy against us. But we have a valid agreement with them in that area.This allegation is totally false and untrue and another pressure technique of the sports broadcaster to extract more revenues from cable operators."

ESS on 24 December had written a letter to Hathway, warning about piracy of Star Cricket channels in certain non-Cas areas in Delhi.

Star Cricket is currently airing South Africa-Australia cricket series. In September last year, ESS had renewed its broadcast partnership with Cricket Australia and acquired the cricket rights for the next four years.