The cult crime show CID is back in the spotlight after a dramatic twist and a growing controversy. In a surprising move, the show killed off its iconic character ACP Pradyuman, played by Shivaji Satam since 1998. The latest arc introduces criminal mastermind Barbosa (Tigmanshu Dhulia), responsible for a bombing that leads to the ACP’s death. The episode, titled The Aftermath, follows Daya and Abhijeet as they investigate mysterious graffiti appearing around Mumbai.
However, the show has drawn criticism for allegedly using artwork without permission. Mumbai-based graffiti artist Mooz Graffiti called out the show on Instagram, sharing a clip comparing scenes from CID with his original artwork. Mooz claimed the show lifted visuals of graffiti—including Jared Leto’s Joker and Marvel’s Hulk—from his and other artists’ YouTube videos.
In the video, Mooz expresses initial excitement about seeing his art featured but quickly criticises the production team for using video grabs instead of filming the actual graffiti or hiring artists. “Instead of going out on the street and shooting the artwork or hiring a person to show the vandalism, you chose to take it from a YouTube video. I found that funny,” he says.
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He captioned the video with humor and sarcasm: “Sala ye Barbosa ne credit le liya! Woke up to this! CID showing our artworks in their recent episode “The Aftermath” where the graffiti seems to be taken from YouTube videos! That’s quite funny!!”
The reaction online has been swift. Social media users pointed out the irony of a crime show using content without permission. One commenter said, “Bro SUE THEM! In logo ka content use karo to turant copyright strike marte hai.” Another added, “Wow! CID wale bhi crime kar sakte hai pehli bar pata chala.”
Despite the growing criticism, neither the creators nor the network—Sony TV, which also streams the show on SonyLIV and Netflix—have responded to the allegations.