IBomma Founder Ravi Held in Hyd

Hyderabad: The Central Crime Station (CCS) police arrested IBomma founder Immadi Ravi, wanted for running one of India’s largest movie piracy networks that leaked dozens of copyrighted South Indian films and OTT content worth an estamiated `24,000 crore. Officials described the arrest as a major breakthrough that could save the Telugu film industry from losses worth thousands of crores.

Ravi, who had recently dared the police to arrest him, was picked up from an apartment in Kukatpally on Friday night after flew in from France. Police said they tracked him using data from international servers and advanced monitoring tool.

During the raid, officials seized laptops, heavy-duty hard disks, computers and HD prints of several films. Minutes after the arrest, Rs 3 crore in his international bank account was frozen.

There are more than 40 complaints and several criminal cases against Ravi in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Based on his confession, a special team has been formed to trace his associates and conspirators who remain at large.

A senior officer said Ravi, originally from Visakhapatnam, confessed that he operated IBomma from France and other European countries and frequently stayed in the Caribbean Islands to avoid detection. He had been living alone in the Kukatpally flat after separating from his wife.

Ravi became a priority target nearly six months ago after one of his agents, Harish, disclosed his identity. Around the same time, he had posted a provocative message aimed at the Telangana Police: “Stop focusing on our website or I’ll have to focus on you.” The Telugu film producers then lodged formal complaints, estimating losses of over `24,400 crore due to IBomma’s piracy ecosystem.

Since then, a dedicated team has monitored Ravi’s operations. Investigators said they used specialised tools to gather information from the IBomma website, trace offshore servers and block several film files that were ready for upload. “We gained access at crucial stages and prevented major leaks,” an officer said.

Police said Ravi admitted earning “hundreds of crores” through piracy. Investigators added that IBomma and its Telugu arm alone caused losses of Rs 24,000 crore to producers. With his arrest, senior police officials held a high-level review with cybercrime teams and the city police commissioner, and it is learnt they have moved to impose a complete ban on the IBomma domain.

Earlier this year, AC technician Kiran, arrested in connection with the racket, revealed that Ravi used clandestine “standby apps” operated by hundreds of agents. Their operations included mobile-based standby uploads, on-ground “cam cadre” recordings and rapid editing and redistribution systems.

Ravi became a central figure after the Telugu Film Anti-Piracy cell complained to cybercrime about continuous pirating by IBomma. Several recently arrested agents from north-eastern states also provided details about his movement patterns, helping police track him after he returned to India.

Last November, Hyderabad cybercrime dismantled what officials described as the “largest movie piracy network in India”, arresting five key members across multiple states. The then commissioner C.V. Anand, now special chief secretary, had said the network was responsible for leaking hundreds of films online.

Industry data shows that the Telugu Film Industry lost over `3,700 crore to piracy in 2024, while the wider Indian film industry suffered losses of nearly `22,400 crore in 2023 across theatres and OTT platforms. Social media posts even circulated screenshots claiming IBomma had issued warnings to the Telangana police, reflecting the scale of the platform’s reach.

Police said Ravi has been produced before a magistrate and investigators have filed for custody to pursue further arrests. Initial probe shows the network’s operations stretched across Hyderabad, Dubai, the Netherlands and Myanmar, using tactics ranging from camcording inside cinemas to hacking satellite feeds and digital drives.

A senior officer said, “The case is still under investigation. We will come to a conclusion and officially disclose details of his arrest on Monday during a press meet.”