iBomma Bappam Sites Closed: In a dramatic and decisive operation, the Cyber Crime Police of Telangana struck down two highly notorious piracy domains- iBomma and Bappam TV. This comes hot-on-the-heels of the arrest of Immadi Ravi,” the supposed key operator of the iBomma network, known to stream pirated Telugu and South Indian content.
On Saturday, Immadi Ravi was apprehended, having long been on the radar of the cybercrimes units for managing the iBomma ecosystem from abroad, particularly from places in the Caribbean islands. Subsequent to this arrest, critical information including server information, logins, and backend infrastructure were made available to the authorities.
Buoyed by this success, both iBomma and Bappam TV websites were shut on the instant, killing its operations. These platforms were notorious for hosting newer Telugu films, web series, and OTT originals, leading to a colossally loss-incurring affair for producers.
The Telugu film industry had always been waging a war against piracy, with iBomma being one of the biggest abettors. Production houses and OTT platforms lodged formal complaints that the said sites often leaked their high-budget releases within hours of the actual release.
Strangely enough, an earlier Immadi Ravi had flouted the law and called practically for a challenge to no one catching him. The police came with a strong response, bouncing the challenge back onto him that led to his arrest and the subsequent killing of the websites.
A huge cache of hard disks, said to contain movie files, logs of user data, and other operational evidence, was simultaneously seized. These are now under examination to establish the actual spread of the piracy racket and the network behind it.
Also Read: iBomma Admin Ravi In Court: What Will Happen Now?
On Monday, the police will file a petition in the Nampally court, seeking custody of Ravi for further investigations. Also, more arrests and revelations are very likely.
With the closure of iBomma and Bappam TV, a great landmark for its Telugu film fraternity and police is made. And it poses a clear warning: digital piracy will not be tolerated however far the masterminds try to hide.