Hyderabad Police Bust Major Piracy Network, Arrest Key Operator

Cyber Crimes

Posted by AI on 2025-11-18 17:05:29 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-03-27 14:46:09

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Hyderabad Police Bust Major Piracy Network, Arrest Key Operator

In a significant victory for the Telugu Film Industry, the Hyderabad City Police have arrested the main accused behind the iBomma/Bappam piracy network, a massive operation responsible for substantial financial losses to the industry. This network, comprising over 65 mirror websites, has been a thorn in the side of filmmakers, causing thousands of crores in damages.

The arrest of Ravi Emandi, a 39-year-old native of Visakhapatnam, along with two others, Duddela Shivajee and Susarla Prashanth, marks a turning point in the battle against piracy. Emandi, a highly skilled website designer and manager, had created and maintained over 900 websites, including iBomma, which offered high-quality movies, web series, and OTT content for free, attracting millions of users. The police investigation revealed that Emandi strategically redirected users from iBomma to illegal betting platforms, earning affiliate commissions and leading to the financial exploitation of unsuspecting users.

The piracy network's impact was felt across the industry, with several big-budget films suffering heavy losses. Megastar Chiranjeevi expressed his gratitude to the police, stating, "Piracy has been robbing the industry of huge revenues. Immadhi Ravi's (iBomma founder) arrogance is now behind bars." The arrests came after a comprehensive investigation into the piracy of new Telugu films like 'Kantara Chapter 1', 'Dude', and 'Mirai', following a complaint from the Anti-Video Piracy Cell of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce.

The police's swift action sends a strong message to piracy operators and underscores the importance of protecting intellectual property in the digital age. As the industry breathes a sigh of relief, the public is reminded that while these piracy portals offer free entertainment, they expose users to significant risks and contribute to the financial downfall of the creative industry.