More skeletons tumble out of piracy kingpin Ravi’s closet

Hyderabad: Hyderabad cybercrime police have revealed new details about the iBomma piracy case, highlighting that Immadi Ravi, the key accused, operated the piracy website through another firm called Njal and earned around Rs 20 crore from this illegal activity.

The investigation also uncovered that he used multiple domain extensions and hosting services in the Netherlands and Switzerland to evade detection, while laundering money via cryptocurrency wallets linked to his NRE accounts. Additionally, Ravi used fake identity documents and is under scrutiny for forgery charges added recently by the police.

Ravi, who was arrested on November 18, allegedly used his expertise in web hosting and scripting to upload pirated films and push users towards illegal gaming and betting websites like 1win and 1xbet, causing significant financial fraud and data theft.

Police seized 21,000 pirated films, Rs 3 crore in cash, and more than 110 domains linked to his operation, which boasted a database of 50 lakh subscribers. Ravi’s operation grew during the COVID-19 lockdown, drawing nearly 5 million users per month. After completing five days in police custody, he was sent to Chanchalguda Jail, and investigations continue with the involvement of the Enforcement Directorate to probe the financial trail of his piracy racket.