Immadi Ravi, who was recently arrested in the film piracy case, is reported to have revealed several interesting details about iBomma during police interrogation. He explained how advanced technology was used to carry out piracy.
Ravi claimed that they were even capable of recording OTT content and that he had been working with outsourcing teams based in the Caribbean Islands to improve the quality of pirated movies.
Ravi also revealed the full details about the iBomma website, including its meaning behind the name iBomma, and explained the story behind the name Bappam TV. According to him, the complete form of iBomma is “Internet Bomma.” He told the police that people in Vizag traditionally referred to movies as “bomma,” which is why he chose the name.
He further said they had originally planned to name another piracy website Balapam, but due to a technical issue with the domain, they removed the letter “L,” resulting in the name Bappam. Many had assumed that the “i” in iBomma came from his surname, Imandi. However, Ravi clarified that “i” actually stands for “Internet.”
Ravi’s second phase of police custody has also ended. The police initially questioned him for five days and, with court approval, took him into custody for another three days. During this period, they collected key information from the accused.
While Ravi remained silent on many questions, he admitted that he believed he could escape even if the piracy network was exposed, using foreign citizenship as a shield. He also confessed that he strengthened the piracy network over the years because no one had managed to catch him earlier.
Ravi expressed regret, saying he was driven by the desire to earn money and failed to understand the gravity of his actions. He told the police that once he is released from jail, he will stay away from piracy. After the completion of his custody, he was produced before the Nampally Court.
Meanwhile, the police confirmed that more than 20,000 movies were uploaded on the iBomma and Bappam websites. Many film industry members and audiences have expressed relief and appreciation over Ravi’s arrest, as his actions had caused major financial losses to the film industry for several years.
However, a section of social media users continues to support Ravi, calling him a “Robin Hood.” On the other hand, many others question how a person who steals others’ hard work and profits through piracy can be compared to Robin Hood.