Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 17 : The Cyber Crime Police, Hyderabad City, have arrested the prime accused operating the iBomma/Bappam large-scale movie piracy network, which includes over 65 mirror websites responsible for causing thousands of crores in losses to the Telugu Film Industry, as per Hyderabad City police.
On the arrest of the accused in the 'iBomma' piracy case, film producer Daggubati Suresh Babu said, "We are very satisfied that the police have been proactive in taking steps to see that piracy is controlled in the best possible manner...The industry with the police. The people watching pirated stuff have to realise that their data is being stolen by a pirate and the amount of cyber fraud he can commit."
According to VC Sajjanar, IPS Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City, the accused was also found diverting lakhs of users from piracy websites to illegal betting platforms like 1win, 1xbet, and others, a criminal operation that has led to massive financial exploitation of the public. These arrests are the sequel to a comprehensive investigation into the piracy of new Telugu films, namely 'Kantara Chapter 1', 'Dude', 'Mirai', and others, which have been uploaded onto illegal websites, including iBomma/Bappam and its extension websites.
The arrests followed a complaint from the Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, which reported that the network was uploading new theatrical and OTT releases--including Kantara Chapter 1, Dude, and Mirai--on high-quality illegal platforms.
The complainant stated that the operators frequently change domains, use Cloudflare hosting for anonymity, and attract millions of users, resulting in huge recurring losses to producers, distributors, and exhibitors. He further reported that the administrators of these websites have issued public threats to Telugu film producers, including an intimidating message widely circulated on social media. He requested for investigation, blocking of websites, tracing of the operators, and taking necessary legal action.
The prime accused has been identified as Ravi Emandi, a 39-year-old native of Visakhapatnam and current citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Two others are Duddela Shivajee and Susarla Prashanth.
The accused, Ravi Emandi, is highly skilled in website design, hosting, and maintenance, with experience creating and managing over 900 websites, police said.
The accused collaborated with online gaming and betting platforms and strategically diverted users visiting the iBOMMA website to these betting sites. By clicking on the website 2-3 times, users were automatically redirected to these gaming platforms. He placed highly visible pop-ups and advertisements that redirected users to illegal betting applications, thereby earning affiliate commissions based on user clicks, registrations, and deposits.
The iBomma and its associated piracy websites gained massive popularity by offering high-quality Movies, Web Series, and OTT content free of cost. After the arrest of the iBomma organiser, some sections of the public on social media praised him for providing free entertainment, feeling that their viewing options were reduced. However, the dark and dangerous side of these websites is often ignored. By visiting iBomma, Bappam, and similar piracy portals, the public is exposed to significant risks, according to the press release.
Under the guidance of Addl. Commissioner of Police (Crimes), M. Srinivasulu, IPS, personal monitoring of DCP Cyber Crimes, Dara Kavitha, and under the supervision of ACsP, R.G Siva Maruti and Jayapal Reddy,officers of Cyber Crime Unit, Hyderabad, K Madhusudhan Rao, Inspector of Police, S Naresh Inspector of Police, Mahipal, P. Suresh and T. Vinay Kumar, Manmohan Goud Sub Inspectors of Police, V. Maheshwar Reddy Head Constable, and other members of the teamplayed a crucial role in apprehending the accused and recovering assets, according to the press release.