Bulli Bai scandal: FIRs filed in Mumbai & Delhi, site blocked; Govt intervenes

The "Bulli bai" app has allegedly been found posting hundreds of Muslim women"s images to put them out for auction.

NewsBharati    03-Jan-2022 10:41:02 AM
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Mumbai, Jan 3: After Delhi police, now Mumbai cyber police have also initiated a probe into complaints that photos of Muslim women were uploaded for auction on an app called Bulli Bai. The 'Bulli bai' app has allegedly been found posting hundreds of Muslim women's images to put them out for auction.
 
Bulli Bai Scandal Muslim women auction
Reports suggest the case has been registered against the unknown culprits under sections 153(A) (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion etc), 153(B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295(A) (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 354D (stalking), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 500 (criminal defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of Information Technology Act.
 
After both the Delhi and Mumbai police lodged FIR in the matter under relevant sections, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a tweet on Sunday said, "Government of India is working with police organisations in Delhi and Mumbai on this matter."
 
 
On the other hand, Delhi Police that an FIR has been registered under section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code in the Cyber Police station of South-East district. The action by Delhi Police was taken after a complaint by a woman journalist at the Cyber police station where she alleged that her photo was uploaded on a website to target her.
 
The complainant said that she was seeking immediate registration of FIR and immediate investigation against unknown people who are seeking to harass and insult Muslim women on social media and the internet. Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that the Centre is working with Delhi and Mumbai police to take "further action" on GitHub user behind the 'Bulli Bai' app. GitHub has blocked the site.
 
The Union Minister had tweeted that action has been taken and the GitHub user behind the 'Bulli Bai' app had been blocked and "further action" was being coordinated. "GitHub confirmed blocking the user this morning itself. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Police authorities are coordinating further action," Vaishnaw said in a reply to a tweet by Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
 
Chaturvedi on Saturday had flagged the ‘Bulli Bai’ app to Mumbai Police and Maharashtra minister of state for home and information & technology Satej Patil.
 
The uploading of pictures on ‘Bulli Bai’ app was similar to the ‘Sulli Deals’ upload last July. Once opened, a Muslim woman’s face would be randomly displayed as ‘Bulli Bai’. Delhi Police Special Cell had also registered an FIR against the creators of a mobile application ‘SULLI DEAL’ for allegedly uploading photos of Muslim women without their consent, using inappropriate remarks against them. The app allegedly uploads photos of women without their consent and uses the hosting platform 'GITHUB' to auction the stolen photos.