Who is Immadi Ravi?
Immadi Ravi is the man behind one of India’s most notorious online piracy networks, who made headlines in November 2025 following his arrest by the cyber-crime branch in Hyderabad. As the alleged mastermind of the websites iBomma and Bappam TV, Ravi is accused of causing massive financial damage to the Telugu film industry and collaborating with illicit betting platforms. A little-known fact: investigators found he stored over 21,000 pirated films across international servers and collected personal data of about 5 million users. Ravi had renounced his Indian citizenship in 2022, acquiring citizenship of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis to evade international laws and facilitate his illegal business operations.
Key Information
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Immadi Ravi |
| Nickname | “iBomma Ravi” (in media) |
| Profession | Alleged website operator / piracy network mastermind |
| Known For | Running the piracy platforms iBomma & Bappam TV; major legal case in 2025 |
| Age | 39 years (as of Nov 2025) |
| Date of Birth | Not publicly verified |
| Years Active | ~2019 – 2025 (in piracy domain) |
| Hometown | Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh |
| Current Residence | Hyderabad, Telangana (in custody) |
| Nationality | Indian (at time of arrest) |
| Educational Qualification | BSc in Computer Science; MBA from ICFAI Business School, Mumbai |
| Marital Status | Divorced (reported) |
| Wife | Soujanya |
| Children | One daughter |
Early Life
Immadi Ravi is a native of Visakhapatnam (Vizag). His father, Immadi Chinna Appa Rao, is a retired BSNL employee and lives a modest life in Visakhapatnam, which stands in stark contrast to the luxurious lifestyle his son is accused of leading.
Ravi completed his BSc (Computers) degree and also studied at Andhra University. He further obtained an MBA degree from the ICFAI Business School in Mumbai.
His early career involved starting a legitimate tech company named ER Infotech in Hyderabad around 2010, which specialized in web services like domain registration and hosting. This background in web development and hosting provided him with the necessary technical skills to launch and manage his subsequent, allegedly illegal, ventures. His father stated that Ravi had been distant for years due to family disputes.
Personal Life
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Wife: Soujanya
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Children: One daughter
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Marital Status: He is separated from his wife. One report mentions he had a “love marriage” with a Muslim woman, but they later separated.
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Viral Posts: The most viral moment in his personal life was his alleged open challenge to the police on the iBomma website, asserting that law enforcement would “never catch him.” This taunt reportedly intensified the multi-agency investigation that led to his arrest.
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Lifestyle: Police reports suggest Ravi lived a lavish lifestyle while operating from the Caribbean islands and Europe, frequently traveling across countries like France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the USA.
Family Background
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Father | Chinna Appa Rao |
| Mother | Not publicly named |
| Brother(s) | Not publicly documented |
| Sister(s) | Not publicly documented |
| Wife | Soujanya |
| Children | One daughter |
Controversies
Immadi Ravi’s career can be segmented into two distinct phases: a legal technology career and the subsequent illegal piracy operations he is now known for.
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First Break: After completing his education, Ravi founded ER Infotech, a web services firm, in Hyderabad around 2010.
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Career Milestones (Piracy):
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2019: Allegedly launched the notorious piracy website iBomma.
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COVID-19 Lockdown: The platform’s popularity surged during the lockdown period, reportedly drawing nearly 5 million users per month by offering newly released films in HD quality for free.
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2022: Launched an expanded platform/mirror site called Bappam.
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2022: Renounced his Indian citizenship and acquired citizenship of the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, reportedly to facilitate his business and evade Indian law enforcement.
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Recent Projects: His most recent activities, as of November 2025, involved running the iBomma/Bappam network using sophisticated methods, including:
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Operating over 110 domain names and managing more than 900 websites.
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Hosting physical servers in international locations like the Netherlands and Switzerland.
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Allegedly diverting lakhs of piracy website users to illegal online betting platforms like 1win and 1xbet for profit.
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- His piracy network allegedly caused losses estimated by industry bodies at around ₹3,700 crore for the Telugu film industry in 2024 due to illegal streaming.
- Using advanced techniques including Cloudflare hiding, foreign hosting servers in Netherlands/Switzerland, and multiple domain extensions to evade law-enforcement.
Net Worth
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Estimated net worth: Approximately ₹20 crore (INR) from illegal operations, according to police estimates.
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Main sources of income:
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Ad revenue from piracy websites (iBomma, Bappam TV)
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Redirecting piracy site traffic to illegal betting platforms (affiliate commissions)
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Possible undeclared cryptocurrency wallets and foreign assets under investigation by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and cyber-crime units.
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Some Lesser Known Facts
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As a hobby, he reportedly had experience building and managing hundreds of websites early in his career (over 900 according to one report) before shifting to piracy.
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He obtained citizenship of the Caribbean island nation Saint Kitts and Nevis to evade Indian jurisdiction, as described in investigative reports.
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During the COVID-19 lockdown his piracy website achieved large growth by providing newly released films in HD for free, capitalising on captive audiences.
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He is reported to have collected personal data of nearly five million users through his websites, including downloads and streaming logs.
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He leveraged Cloudflare services and foreign hosting to create resistance against takedown efforts by Indian authorities.
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Before arrest, he travelled frequently overseas (France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Dubai) to manage servers and assets abroad.
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His transition into piracy is reportedly linked to personal humiliation and lack of success in legitimate business, as media reports suggest.
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He is now the subject of a forthcoming biopic in Telugu-language media, which highlights how infamous his case became.
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He is reported to have used a fraudulent name, V Prahlad Kumar, to obtain official documents like a PAN card and driving license.
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His former wife is mentioned to be a Muslim woman, whom he married in a “love marriage,” but they later separated.
Latest Updates
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Current base: Hyderabad, Telangana (in police custody at Chanchalguda jail) as of November 2025.
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Ongoing legal investigation: The cyber-crime police, along with the ED, are probing his financial transactions, server infrastructure, betting affiliate links and foreign assets.
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In media, a biopic on his life has been announced in the Telugu film industry, creating a ripple of discussions on the ethics of dramatizing piracy operators.
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The film industry (Tollywood) and anti-piracy bodies have hailed his arrest as a landmark moment in the fight against large-scale digital piracy.
FAQs
Q1. What is Immadi Ravi’s age?
A1. He is approximately 39 years old as of November 2025.
Q2. Is Immadi Ravi married?
A2. He was married in 2016, reportedly divorced later. His marital status as of 2025 is listed as divorced.
Q3. Who is Immadi Ravi dating now in 2025?
A3. There is no credible public information on dating or a current partner.
Q4. What does Immadi Ravi do for a living?
A4. He allegedly operated large-scale online piracy websites (iBomma, Bappam TV), ran trafficking of film content, and profited from illegal betting affiliate promotions.
Q5. What is the net worth of Immadi Ravi?
A5. Investigators estimate his earnings from piracy operations to be around ₹20 crore.
Q6. What is Immadi Ravi known for?
A6. He is known for being the alleged kingpin of the piracy websites iBomma and Bappam TV, causing large financial losses in the film industry and evading law-enforcement for years.
Q7. What are Immadi Ravi’s latest projects in 2025?
A7. His “projects” are largely legal proceedings: investigation by cyber-crime police and ED. A film biopic has also been announced about his life.
Q8. Has Immadi Ravi been involved in any controversies?
A8. Yes – his entire public profile is centered on controversy: large-scale digital piracy, diversion of users to illegal betting platforms, and evading law-enforcement via international servers.
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