In a significant breakthrough against digital piracy, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime police have arrested the key mastermind behind the notorious iBomma and Bappam piracy ecosystem, a network linked to more than 65 mirror websites and responsible for causing losses worth thousands of crore to the Telugu film industry. Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar announced the development during a press conference, describing the operation as one of the largest anti-piracy crackdowns undertaken in recent years.

Prime accused operated extensive piracy and betting network

The arrested accused, Ravi Emandi, a 39-year-old web developer originally from Visakhapatnam and currently a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis, is believed to have built and managed the iBomma piracy network since 2019. Sajjanar revealed that Ravi not only uploaded pirated films but also diverted lakhs of users from these websites to illegal betting platforms such as 1win and 1xbet, exposing the public to financial exploitation.

Police said these arrests are part of a larger investigation into the widespread online piracy of Telugu films including Kantara Chapter 1, Dude, and Mirai, all of which were illegally uploaded on the iBomma and Bappam websites.

21,000 pirated movies seized during raids

During searches at various locations, investigators recovered over 21,000 pirated films from hard disks linked to the accused. These files spanned multiple languages including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and English. The pirated collection included classics such as The Godfather (1972) as well as upcoming and newly released films such as OG (2025).

Officials said the seized data highlighted the enormous scale at which the piracy network operated, offering high-quality prints of new releases—often within a day or two—causing heavy revenue losses for production houses across India.

Three accused arrested after detailed probe

Along with Ravi, police arrested Duddela Shivajee (27), a website developer, and Susarla Prashanth (27), a private employee. Both are natives of Nellore. According to the investigation, the trio formed the core technical and operational team behind the piracy ecosystem.

Ravi handled hosting, domain deployment, and mirror site creation; Shivajee managed maintenance and technical updates; and Prashanth assisted with content uploads and platform promotions.

How iBomma grew during the Covid-19 lockdown

The iBomma website witnessed explosive growth during the COVID-19 lockdown, when theatres remained closed and families were confined indoors. With multiple OTT subscriptions proving expensive, the public turned to free alternatives for entertainment.

iBomma capitalised on this demand by offering newly released movies in high-definition quality, free of cost, on a single platform. The link to the website spread rapidly through word of mouth, WhatsApp forwards, and social media, eventually attracting over five million users every month.

Its clean interface, fast streaming, and quick uploads made it stand out from other piracy websites and torrent platforms, accelerating its rise as the most popular piracy hub for Telugu content.

Piracy ecosystem linked to illegal betting

A major revelation in the investigation was the discovery that iBomma’s operators funnelled traffic to offshore betting platforms. By embedding promotional links and redirecting users, they generated large commissions while exposing lakhs of users to illegal gambling networks.

Police noted that this connection between piracy, betting, and data exploitation indicates a deeper organised cybercrime network that extended beyond movie piracy.

Impact on the film industry

Film producers have repeatedly raised concerns over the severe financial damage caused by piracy. Industry estimates suggest that illegal streaming reduces box-office revenue by 15–20% for mid-budget films, while small-budget films suffer even heavier losses. The iBomma ecosystem was particularly infamous for leaking high-quality versions of films soon after release, affecting theatrical collections across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and other markets.

Conclusion

Police officials said the arrests represent a major victory for anti-piracy efforts but emphasised that digital piracy networks continue to evolve through mirror sites and offshore hosting. The Hyderabad Cyber Crime police are pursuing further leads to identify financial routes, advertiser networks, and international connections associated with the iBomma ecosystem.