Accused Identified as the Main Operator
Additional City CP (Crimes) M. Srinivasulu explained that Emandi Ravi, manager of I Bomma, worked as a primary operator in the recent movie piracy case. Police said he downloaded pirated movies from Tamil websites, then converted them into HD format and uploaded them on I Bomma and Bappam TV. The officers shared these details during a media briefing at the Basheerbagh Central Crime Station on Tuesday. They confirmed that significant evidence was collected during his five-day police custody. Technical information also showed that he conducted all activities independently. The investigation team demonstrated his piracy methods through a PowerPoint presentation.
Domain Registration and Traffic Manipulation
The police further mentioned that Ravi used to manage all the technical operations. He registered the domains of I Bomma and Bappam TV through an NGLA company. He managed these pirate platforms using a CMS system. When people clicked on the movie links, the sites first redirected them to gaming and betting apps and then provided access to the content. This increased traffic to those sites, helping earn in lakhs of rupees. The money was received in dollars in the account of the company, Adbull, owned by Ravi. Additional CP Srinivasulu mentioned that Ravi's actions led to financial losses, public harm, and incidents connected with online gaming and gambling websites. He was also selling bank accounts and users' data through APK files and jeopardizing citizens.
International Servers and False Identity Claims
The investigators learned that pirated movies were stored in servers obtained in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Since there are fewer restrictions on persons with the citizenship of certain Caribbean islands, he reportedly obtained citizenship for Rs 80 lakhs. He used to maintain domains in the name of his company Getting Up App. Following an email from police, he responded, posing as the nodal officer of the domains. He even challenged the authorities to prove that pirated movies were available on the platforms. This raised suspicion. Police traced him by analyzing the phone number linked to GettingApp and confirmed he was the same person who responded as the so-called nodal officer.
Application for Custody Extension Cybercrime police filed a petition in Nampally court on Tuesday seeking extra custody of Ravi. Arguments in the court have been completed, and the final verdict is likely to come on Wednesday.
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