Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police Bust iBomma Piracy Network; Mastermind Immadi Ravi Arrested

Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on digital piracy, the Cyber Crime Police have shut down the infamous iBomma and Bappam TV websites, which were allegedly running a large-scale, high-speed piracy network. The police have arrested the prime accused, Immadi Ravi, and seized crucial data including server information and login credentials.

Ravi, the administrator and alleged mastermind behind iBomma, was arrested on Saturday. A letter circulating on social media claimed he had earlier challenged the police, boasting, “I have data of crores of people. Stop focusing on this website.”

The investigation began with the arrest of several iBomma employees. Police then tracked down Ravi by analysing hundreds of hard disks and financial records recovered during raids. Officials say they plan to seek custodial interrogation to uncover more details about the network.

Piracy has caused significant losses to the Telugu film industry this year, with multiple new releases appearing online within hours. The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce’s Anti-Video Piracy Cell filed a complaint on August 30, alleging that 65 mirror websites—including iBomma—were involved in leaking films.

Following the complaint, police arrested five persons on September 29 and launched a large-scale hunt for Ravi. He reportedly fled his Kukatpally residence on October 1 and stayed hidden in several countries, including France, the Caribbean Islands, and the Netherlands, frequently changing his IP addresses. He was believed to have been detained in Amsterdam on October 3 before returning to Hyderabad, assuming police would not trace him. However, he was arrested soon after reaching the city.

According to officials, Ravi stored pirated content on servers located in the Caribbean Islands and offered Telugu films, dubbed movies, and web series for free through iBomma and Bappam TV. His alleged challenge to police went viral, prompting intensified action that eventually led to his capture.

Police confirmed that the two piracy websites attracted around 37 lakh monthly viewers. Over the past seven to eight years, Ravi is said to have operated under multiple names, including iBomma, Bappam TV, and I Win. Raids on his apartment reportedly led to the seizure of ₹3 crore in cash, hundreds of hard disks, computers, and mobile phones.

Investigators also allege that Ravi, a resident of Visakhapatnam, possessed advanced hacking skills and could break into highly secure servers, including those of OTT platforms and Cloudflare, to illegally download high-quality movie files.

Ravi was questioned at the CCS office in Basheerbagh before being produced in the Nampally court. After being remanded, he was shifted to Chanchalguda jail.

The police say further arrests and revelations are likely as the investigation continues.