Hyderabad cyber crime police have uncovered a startling journey of fraud, revealing how the alleged mastermind behind major movie piracy platforms iBomma and Bappamtv began his criminal career by stealing his roommate's identity over a decade ago.
From Stolen Marks Memo to a Piracy Empire
According to investigators, the accused, Emandi Ravi, initiated his fraudulent activities back in 2007 while he was a student pursuing software courses. In a detailed confession, Ravi admitted to stealing a photocopy of his roommate, V Prahlad's SSC marks memo. Using this document, he fraudulently obtained a Maharashtra driver's licence and a PAN card in Prahlad's name.
Armed with these fake credentials, Ravi opened four bank accounts, purchased a bike, and even pursued an MBA from ICFAI University, Mumbai, all under his roommate's stolen identity. Police said he later forged signatures, including that of Prahlad Kumar, to register three firms—Suppliers India, Hospitals In, and ER Infotech—in Rangareddy district in 2009.
The Multi-Crore Piracy and Betting Network
The investigation took a major turn with Ravi's arrest for operating a vast movie piracy and online betting advertisement network. In his confession recorded on December 23, Ravi detailed his modus operandi. He stated that in February 2025, he procured a pirated copy of the Telugu film ‘Thandel’ via Telegram for which he paid $100. He then uploaded it on his platforms, iBomma and Bappamtv.
Ravi confessed to regularly purchasing camcorder prints for $100 and high-definition prints for up to $200 from unknown suppliers on Telegram channels. To run his operations, he used a US-registered entity named GettingUp LLC to develop, host, and manage the piracy websites, cleverly masking his physical location using tools like Proton VPN.
Massive Money Laundering and Frozen Assets
The financial scale of the operation is immense. Police officials revealed that post the Covid-19 pandemic, the revenue from piracy skyrocketed. Approximately Rs 13.4 crore was funneled through seven of Ravi's Indian bank accounts. An additional Rs 1.58 crore was generated from advertisements for online betting applications placed through various advertising companies.
To evade tax authorities, Ravi allegedly diverted Rs 90 lakh from the crime proceeds into his sister's bank account. He utilized a range of international payment gateways including PayPal, Payeer, Robokassa, Capitalist, and Perfect Money to move the illicit funds. However, Ravi later claimed to have forgotten the login details for these payment systems, complicating the investigation.
A senior police official confirmed that law enforcement has written to the banks involved, leading to the freezing of about Rs 3 crore lying in Ravi's accounts. Emandi Ravi is currently in judicial remand, and a thorough analysis of his complex financial transactions is still underway.
Investigators added that Ravi operated his firms with 5 to 10 employees in Hyderabad's Kukatpally area. He reportedly spent the enormous profits from piracy and betting on foreign travel, nightlife, and what police have termed as "unlawful and immoral activities".
