“Ibomma” Administrator Ravi Possessed Data of 5 Million Users, Earned ₹20 Crore: Sajjanar
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad City Police have arrested Immadi Ravi, the alleged mastermind behind the notorious movie piracy website 'IBomma,' which is accused of causing losses worth thousands of crores to the Telugu film industry. The arrest was announced by Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar following a meeting with prominent film personalities, including Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, director S.S. Rajamouli, and producer Dil Raju.
During a press conference at the Command and Control Centre, Sajjanar revealed that Ravi had confessed to earning approximately ₹20 crore through his illegal operations. Police have seized ₹3 crore from him so far. He also stated that Ravi possessed a database of about 50 lakh subscribers, raising serious concerns about the potential misuse of personal data.
The investigation uncovered that Ravi operated a sophisticated network of 65 mirror websites to evade authorities, hosting them on servers located in the United States and the Netherlands. Sajjanar highlighted a more disturbing aspect of the operation, noting that the website was used to promote betting apps, which he linked to several youth suicides.
"Piracy is a nationwide issue that is severely damaging the film industry," Sajjanar stated, explaining the extensive nature of Ravi's activities, which included pirating thousands of Bollywood and Tollywood films.
The Police Commissioner also detailed Ravi's criminal history, revealing that he had created a fake PAN card and driving license under the name 'Prahlad' in Maharashtra and had even obtained citizenship in a Caribbean country.
A total of five cases have been registered against Ravi under the IT and Copyright Acts. Two of his associates, Duddela Sivaraj and Prashanth, were arrested earlier in connection with the case.
The film industry representatives praised the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police for their successful operation in apprehending the key figure behind the extensive piracy network.