The Telangana High Court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to Emmadi Ravi, popularly known as iBOMMA Ravi, who was arrested in connection with a massive cinema piracy case and had been in judicial custody since November 15.
While granting bail, the court imposed strict conditions. Ravi has been directed to appear before the Central Crime Station daily until further orders. Officials said this requirement is meant to ensure his full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
The court also ordered him to surrender his passport and clearly stated that he must not leave the country without prior permission. Additionally, he has been instructed not to influence witnesses or tamper with any evidence related to the case.
One of the notable conditions is a restriction on internet usage. The court directed that Emmadi Ravi should not access the internet. If access is necessary for any reason, he must first obtain approval from the police.
Police had earlier said they were examining digital devices, financial records, and transaction details linked to the alleged piracy and betting advertisement network. Further investigation is still underway.
Ravi was taken into custody by the Central Crime Station police, who alleged that he was operating one of India’s largest movie piracy networks through the iBOMMA platform. According to officials, the network illegally leaked several newly released South Indian films and OTT content soon after their release. Investigators described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in their crackdown on digital piracy, stating that the operation had allegedly caused losses worth thousands of crores to the Telugu film industry. Police also claimed that the website generated revenue through online betting advertisements.
