Hyderabad Police expose iBomma piracy network; 21,000 films, Rs 20 crore seized
Hyderabad Police revealed that Ravi, operator of iBomma, uploaded nearly 21,000 films and earned Rs 20 crore from piracy. The case involves international links and online betting promotion. Authorities plan to escalate investigations to CBI and Enforcement Directorate.
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police on Monday revealed explosive details about the scale of digital piracy run by Ravi, the mastermind behind the illegal movie website iBomma, who allegedly uploaded nearly 21,000 films ranging from Hollywood’s 1972 classic ‘The Godfather’ to the latest Tollywood release ‘OG’.
Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said Ravi not only operated the massive piracy network but simultaneously promoted online betting platforms, creating a dual criminal ecosystem.
“He set up 65 mirror websites. Our teams recovered nearly 21,000 movies from his hard disk. He earned close to Rs 20 crore through piracy, and we’ve seized Rs 3 crore from his accounts so far,” he said.
Given the multi-layered fraud and the huge flow of illegal funds, the Commissioner said the case will be escalated to CBI and Enforcement Directorate, as Ravi’s operations include international links and a subscriber base of nearly 50 lakh users.
“Piracy is illegal, but behind it lies a much bigger racket. Your data lands in the darknet. It can be misused,” Sajjanar cautioned.
Relentless domain hopping:
Investigators found that Ravi focused heavily on keeping the piracy network alive. He bought 101 domains and switched between them whenever one was blocked.
He even leaked films released on major OTT platforms and used covertly recorded camera prints from theatres. The content was pushed to users through Telegram channels.
Shift to betting promotion:
Ravi later diverted iBomma traffic to online betting apps, sharing APK files that exposed subscribers to cyber fraud. “We have already taken down iBomma and Bappam websites and are tracing how much each person gained from this racket,” Sajjanar said.
The Commissioner noted that Ravi had earlier “challenged the police to catch him”, but is now behind bars. Police intend to seek custody again for deeper investigation into the network.
Sajjanar also issued a stern warning that meme creators targeting police with derogatory content will face strict action.
