Hyderabad: The high-profile iBomma piracy probe has taken a major turn, with Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police uncovering a network of fake identities, forged documents, and suspicious financial transactions linked to iBomma Ravi.
During 12 days of custodial interrogation, investigators unearthed crucial evidence indicating widespread identity misuse and money laundering. Preliminary findings revealed financial transactions amounting to around Rs 13 crore connected to the piracy operation.
Of this, Rs 3 crore has been frozen, while the remaining Rs 10 crore was allegedly spent by Ravi on foreign trips and personal expenses.
Investigations showed that Ravi created multiple fake identities using documents belonging to his close associates: Vellela Prahlad Kumar, Anjaiah from Karimnagar, and Kali Prasad, his Class 10 batchmate.
Police found that he forged IDs by uploading his own photograph against their Aadhaar card details.
Ravi reportedly befriended Prahlad in 2007 while staying in a hostel at Ameerpet. Using Prahlad’s Class 10 memo and Aadhaar card, he allegedly obtained a driving licence, a PAN card, and opened multiple bank accounts. However, the passport Ravi used was issued in his own name.
Cyber Crime officials stated that Ravi purchased several websites in the names of his associates and ran them as benami ventures, including portals related to hospital and supplier services.
After those ventures failed to take off, he allegedly created the iBomma website, which grew into a large-scale movie piracy platform.
With the completion of the 12-day police custody, Cyber Crime officials produced Ravi before the Nampally Court on Monday.
The court remanded him to judicial custody, following which he was shifted to the Chanchalguda Central Jail.
Police said further investigation is underway to trace the remaining funds and identify other individuals involved in the piracy and financial operations.
