iBomma Ravi gets conditional bail in online piracy case; Telangana HC asks Ravi to surrender passport

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted conditional bail to Immadhi Ravi, alias ‘iBomma’ Ravi, the alleged operator of the piracy website iBomma, who was arrested by Telangana Police for illegally streaming newly released Telugu and other films online.

Ravi had been in judicial remand for the past few months before securing relief from the court.

Arrest following tip-off

Ravi, accused of running the piracy platform from abroad and causing significant losses to film producers and directors, was apprehended in Hyderabad on November 15.

Police reportedly acted on specific information that he was arriving in the city amid personal disputes with his wife and divorce proceedings.

After his arrest, he was taken into police custody for questioning and later remanded to judicial custody. Since then, he had remained in jail while the investigation continued.

Charges under IT and copyright laws

The police registered cases against Ravi under various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Copyright Act.

The charges include Sections 66C and 66E of the IT Act, along with Sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright Act, and Section 318(4).

He is also facing allegations related to online betting advertisements in addition to large-scale digital piracy of films.

Court imposes strict bail conditions

While granting bail, the High Court imposed stringent conditions:

- Ravi shall not leave the country without prior court permission.

- He must surrender his passport to the police.

- He is required to appear before the CCS (Central Crime Station) police every day at 11 am.

- Any violation of these conditions will result in cancellation of bail and strict legal action.

With Ravi agreeing to comply with the court’s directions, the High Court approved his bail petition. The case continues to draw attention within the film industry, which has long battled online piracy and unauthorised streaming platforms.