What is iBomma, the film-piracy network whose ‘mastermind’ has been arrested? Chiranjeevi says Game Changer, Thandel, Kingdom and OG suffered due to piracy

What is iBomma?

iBomma is one of the major movie piracy networks in South India, offering high-quality movies, web series, and OTT content free of charge. Reportedly, the network includes over 65 mirror websites. Besides offering cinema, the network has also been working hand in glove with illegal betting platforms and redirecting its visitors to such websites, leading to massive financial exploitation of the public. Ravi Emandi is apparently highly skilled in website design, with experience also in creating and managing over 900 websites, the news agency quoted police as saying. Two others, namely Duddela Shivajee and Susarla Prashanth, have also landed in the police net.

According to IANS, Ravi was detained from a house in Hyderabad’s Kukatpally area. He had left the country on October 1 after a case was filed against him and was reportedly in Amsterdam by October 3, frequently switching IP addresses to evade detection. He returned to Hyderabad a few days ago, and the police traced his movements using his mobile phone signals.

Chiranjeevi: ‘Piracy robbing film industry of huge revenues’

Following Ravi’s arrest, Chiranjeevi, along with Nagarjuna and SS Rajamouli, met with Hyderabad city police commissioner VC Sajjanar to express their gratitude for the efforts. “Piracy has been robbing the industry of huge revenues. Ravi openly challenged the police to arrest him – that level of arrogance was too much. Finally, he is behind bars. My thanks to the Commissioner and his team for this great achievement,” Chiranjeevi said during a press conference. He emphasised that movies like Game Changer, Thandel, Kingdom, and OG suffered greatly due to piracy, adding, “I heard a 22-year-old from Bihar was earning huge money through piracy. It’s unbearable.”

SS Rajamouli says ‘watching pirated movies not harmless’

“It was like a typical film sequence – a villain challenges the hero to catch him. Telangana police nabbed him within two months and proved their strength,” SS Rajamouli said. Urging the public not to take piracy lightly, he added, “Nothing comes for free. There are always hidden costs. People think watching pirated movies is harmless, but these operators are making huge money. Their equipment and servers cost a bomb. They misuse personal data – your name, number, or email could fall into the hands of cybercriminals. This can lead to financial fraud and even danger to life.” Nagarjuna, meanwhile, maintained that this development has helped not only the Telugu industry but also its counterparts across the country.

Actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also lauded the Hyderabad police. “Not only in terms of money, but also creativity invested in producing films, the film industry is suffering severe losses due to gangs that post them on the internet on the very day of release. At a time when the film release itself has turned into a grand yagna, it has become impossible for directors and producers to curb piracy gangs,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He added, “The actions taken under his leadership will certainly benefit not just Telugu cinema but the entire Indian film industry. ”

“We are very satisfied that the police have been proactive in taking steps to see that piracy is controlled in the best possible manner…The industry with the police. The people watching pirated stuff have to realise that their data is being stolen by a pirate and the amount of cyber fraud he can commit,” ANI quoted film producer Daggubati Suresh Babu as saying.

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