Film editor Pradeep E Raghav has been suspended for allegedly violating union bylaws and failing to prevent the illegal online leak of Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, the Southern India Film Editor’s Association (SIFEA) said on Friday.

In a press release, the association stated that the decision came after an emergency executive committee meeting on April 17.

The committee, which includes senior editors and executive members, examined claims that Raghav had regularly hired non-union assistants across his projects, including Jana Nayagan. SIFEA said this breaches the association’s established rules and regulations.

Regarding the piracy of Jana Nayagan, the association noted that while Raghav may not have been directly behind the unauthorised release, he admitted to lapses of “negligence” that contributed to it.

“The association has a responsibility to prevent such undesirable incidents in the future to protect the integrity of the film industry. If this trend continues, the very functioning of the industry is at risk,” read the statement signed by President V Gopikrishna and General Secretary N B Umashankarbabu.

Effective immediately, SIFEA has suspended Raghav and will not extend any support or collaboration to him.

Last week, the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing arrested three main accused, including a freelance assistant editor, in connection with the illegal circulation of leaked content from Jana Nayagan, the police said in a statement.

According to an official statement, the arrests took place on April 15 after a thorough technical review and analysis of digital evidence.

Issuing a public advisory, the Cyber Crime Wing strictly warned against downloading, streaming, or forwarding pirated content, stating that any involvement in digital piracy will invite strict legal consequences.

Earlier this month, six individuals were taken into custody by the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing in the same case.

Following the leak, Tamil industry stars like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Suriya and Sivakarthikeyan expressed their shock and called for stricter measures against piracy

Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions, Jana Nayagan also features Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol and Mamitha Baiju, alongside Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani.

Billed as Vijay’s final film before his political entry, the political thriller was initially slated for release on January 9 but was postponed after the Central Board of Film Certification did not certify it on time.