In a major crackdown on digital piracy in Telangana, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Unit has arrested the man believed to be the chief architect of the iBomma piracy racket and the connected Bappam network. The group allegedly operated a vast ecosystem of more than 65 mirror websites, causing severe financial losses to the Telugu film industry and diverting traffic to illegal betting platforms.
Background: A Network That Hurt the Film Industry
According to investigators, the piracy ring had built a sophisticated web of domains and mirror extensions that consistently uploaded newly released Telugu movies in high-definition. Officials estimate that these platforms inflicted losses running into thousands of crores, impacting producers, distributors, and exhibitors across the region.
The accused also reportedly used these high-traffic piracy platforms to redirect lakhs of users to illegal betting sites, enabling financial fraud and large-scale data theft.
The Arrest: Mastermind Tracked Down in Hyderabad
Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar confirmed that the prime accused, 39-year-old Ravi Emandi, was detained from an apartment within the city. Originally from Visakhapatnam, Emandi had later acquired citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean nation.
Two of his associates had already been arrested earlier in September as part of the ongoing investigation.
How the iBomma Network Operated
Officials revealed that Emandi, who holds degrees in both computer science and business administration, previously ran a web services firm in Hyderabad. He entered the piracy ecosystem in 2019, when the COVID-19 lockdown significantly increased online content consumption.
Key findings from the investigation include:
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iBomma was launched in 2019 and quickly became one of the most visited Telugu piracy websites.
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The platform attracted nearly 5 million monthly users at its peak.
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Police seized hard drives containing around 21,000 pirated films in multiple languages.
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The accused is linked to four additional FIRs involving movie piracy, online cheating, and data theft.
Impact and Ongoing Investigation
Authorities say the arrest marks an important step toward dismantling one of the biggest digital piracy networks targeting South Indian cinema. The investigation will continue to uncover financial trails, identify additional accomplices, and assess the full extent of the network’s illegal operations.
The case also highlights how piracy platforms are evolving—shifting from merely distributing stolen content to becoming hubs for cyber fraud, betting scams, and data exploitation.