Based on police investigation, only one person was identified as the operator of the piracy websites I Bomma and Bappam. He distributed thousands of movies and series by hacking the OTT servers of various platforms. The operator, Immadi Ravi, 40 years old, resided in Hyderabad but often traveled abroad. To mask his location, he operated these sites from different locations using VPN tools. Police arrested him on Saturday from his residence in Kukatpally after he arrived from abroad. Officers also removed both piracy platforms from their domains. Five cases have been registered against him.
Ravi is from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. He did engineering at Hyderabad and finished an MBA in Mumbai. He married a woman he loved, but the couple separated four years ago. He was earlier a software employee and started two IT companies, Getting Up and ER Infotech, which he later shut down.
He started staying alone in a gated community in Kukatpally since 2018 and went on foreign trips frequently. The accused began hacking OTT servers and distributing pirated movies and web series during this time. He purchased more than 100 website domains for the work. He would instantly activate another website whenever one was removed by the authorities as a backup. Police seized several hard disks from his house, and the investigators suspect that they might contain close to 2,000 movies. Ravi told the police that he stored deleted movies on these disks so that he could upload them again after some time.
Preliminary investigations reveal that Ravi extended the piracy operation to other countries. The police believe that technical teams operating from the United Kingdom also worked under his instructions. Forensic experts are currently examining the seized computers, hard disks and mobile phones. Investigators say more important details may surface once the digital evidence is fully examined.
The police suspect that the websites of piracy also supported promotion of online betting and gaming applications. Officers believe that uncovering Ravi’s full network will help identify other individuals involved in the pirated websites case. Ravi, currently in Chanchalguda jail, will soon be taken into police custody for further questioning.
Family Reaction Ravi's hometown is Salipet near Pedagali in the Visakhapatnam city area. After news of his arrest, media spoke with his father Apparao. He informed that he had not been in touch with his son since several years now. He said that he was sad Ravi chose an unlawful path and brought shame to the family.
