Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Police have arrested Imaddi Ravi, the alleged administrator of the notorious film piracy platforms iBomma and Bappam TV. Officials stated that Ravi was forced to shut down both platforms following his detention. A native of Visakhapatnam, he had reportedly been residing in the Caribbean Islands, from where he is accused of sourcing master copies of newly released Telugu films and uploading them online for illegal commercial gain. Police sources revealed that Ravi had also purchased a luxury residence valued at nearly Rs 3 crore in Hyderabad.
According to investigators, Ravi’s personal circumstances played a key role in the creation of the piracy platforms. After marrying into an affluent family in 2016, he allegedly faced ridicule over insufficient earnings, which prompted him to pursue illegal revenue-generating avenues. Using his background in web design, he developed and launched iBomma and Bappam TV, which soon attracted significant traffic and generated substantial profits through advertisements, including those linked to betting applications.
Ravi divorced his wife in 2021 and subsequently moved to the Netherlands, continuing to operate the piracy networks remotely. Police further allege that he illegally sold user data of nearly 50 lakh subscribers to cybercriminal and gaming syndicates, earning an estimated ₹20 crore in the process. While preparing to shift his entire operation overseas, he was tracked and apprehended by a special team of Hyderabad Police.
Both piracy websites are now permanently inaccessible in India, with users encountering a shutdown message on attempting to log in. Authorities have reiterated that stringent action will continue against digital piracy networks and cybercrime groups that profit from unauthorized movie distribution. Further investigation is underway to identify additional associates and financial trails linked to the illegal operations.