“Catch me if you can” backfires: iBomma pirate kingpin arrested the moment he lands in Hyderabad

In a dramatic late-night operation reminiscent of a high-stakes thriller, Cyberabad police arrested iBomma founder Immadi Ravi, the elusive figure behind one of India’s most notorious movie piracy networks. Ravi was caught the moment he landed in Hyderabad from France on Friday night, ending a long global pursuit that had frustrated law-enforcement agencies and enraged film producers for years.

According to officials, Ravi had been operating the piracy empire from the Caribbean islands, far beyond the reach of Indian authorities. His platform, iBomma—recently renamed “Bappam TV”—became infamous for leaking new movie releases on the very day they hit theatres or OTT platforms, causing losses estimated in crores for the Indian film industry. Telugu filmmakers, in particular, had been vocal about the damage, repeatedly filing complaints and urging authorities to act.

For years, however, the man behind the piracy giant remained a ghost, shifting locations across France and island nations, operating through a web of offshore servers and decoy networks. Enforcement agencies were unable to make a breakthrough because Ravi and his associates rarely entered India. But the breakthrough came the moment he stepped into Hyderabad, where police teams were already waiting.

Sources revealed that Ravi had grown increasingly bold in recent months. After Cyberabad police arrested a five-member piracy gang earlier, Commissioner CV Anand had issued a strong warning that those running piracy websites “would not be spared, regardless of what technology they use.” Instead of lying low, iBomma responded with open defiance, challenging police publicly and even threatening to leak personal data of those who tried to shut the operation down. This taunt reportedly intensified the investigation and put Ravi at the top of the target list.

Investigators say Ravi had been living alone in France after separating from his wife and had built a multi-country operation over the years. His network relied on rapid procurement of new movie prints, which were then uploaded across mirrored platforms to evade takedown notices. Film producers allege that this precision-level piracy crippled theatrical revenues, especially during festival releases.

When Ravi landed in Hyderabad, he allegedly believed he could slip in unnoticed. Instead, a special Cyberabad police team intercepted him immediately upon arrival and took him into custody. He was later shifted to Kukatpally, where teams seized digital devices, fresh pirated prints, and crucial data linked to the piracy operation. Authorities also froze ₹3 crore in accounts traced to him.

Police believe that Ravi’s arrest could unlock the larger network of accomplices who handled encoding, server routing, and distribution. They also hope it will send a strong message to offshore piracy operators who have long exploited jurisdiction gaps to leak Indian films globally.

For filmmakers, this arrest marks a rare moment of relief in a long battle against digital theft. Yet the industry remains cautious, noting that piracy is a hydra-headed problem—shutting down one platform often leads to several more emerging.

But for now, the man who challenged the police, taunted the system, and built one of India’s boldest piracy networks has finally been brought down.