The in-depth custodial interrogation of Imandi Ravi, the alleged operator behind film piracy websites iBOMMA and Bappam, in the last three days, yielding extensive details about the network’s functioning, advanced technological methods, and international links.
The Cyber Crime Police of Hyderabad found that Ravi stored more than 21,000 pirated movie files in concealed sections of his email account. Files were hidden within spam folders and encrypted “hide files.”
“The recovered data offers investigators a clear picture of the type, volume and timeline of piracy activity,” an investigating officer said.
Following interrogation, Ravi was produced in the Nampally court and transferred to Chanchalguda Jail.
According to sources, Ravi detailed the sophisticated systems used to record, process, and distribute pirated content. He admitted that OTT platform content was captured using specialised recording tools.
“In order to enhance audio and video quality, the network outsourced post-processing work to entities located in the Caribbean Islands. The network relied on IP masking and anonymised servers to run piracy websites without detection,” sources said.
Investigators say these methods allowed the operators to release high-quality pirated versions soon after official OTT releases.
During the interrogation, Ravi also explained the naming conventions behind the websites.
The term “bomma” is colloquially used in Visakhapatnam to refer to a movie. iBomma was thus named to represent “internet bomma”—a platform displaying movies online.
Initially, the team considered the name “Balapam,” but due to technical issues with the letter “L” in domain registration, they opted for “Bappam.”
During the questioning, the police identified leads related to supporting networks, including possible financial channels involving NGOs.
Ravi provided partial information about a person named Prahlad, believed to be connected to the wider piracy infrastructure.
He stated that most communications within the group occurred exclusively through online links, without direct physical interaction.
Police are now preparing to expand the investigation to track additional operatives and dismantle related piracy channels.
