After the ‘Sulli deals’ of July 2021, the auctioning of women was repeated under another name of ‘Bulli Bai’ application found on Git-Hub. Once again, Muslim women were targeted as their doctored photos were uploaded for their auction in the app by an unidentified group on the internet. This shameful incident took place on the very first day of this new year.

The Delhi police have taken cognizance of this case filed by journalist Ismat Ara while Mumbai cyber police have also initiated a probe. The user was blocked after the complaints this morning.

Contents hide
1. Over 100 Influential Women were Targeted
2. Bully-Bai is Another Version of Sulli-deals from July 2021
3. Delhi and Mumbai Police Began the Investigation
4. Officials’ and Netizens’ Reactions to this Cybercrime
5. Update: Two Accused Arrested

Over 100 Influential Women were Targeted

‘Bulli Bai’ targeted over 100 influential women whose doctored photos were displayed on the application, offering them as ‘deals’ to people. All the targeted women were Muslim which added a communal colour to this cybercrime. The derogatory term ‘Bulli’ is slang used to insult Muslim women in the same way ‘Sulli’ does.

The journalist Ismat Ara, one of these targeted women, filed an FIR with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police. After receiving a screenshot from her friend on Saturday, she tweeted: “It is very sad that as a Muslim woman you have to start your new year with this sense of fear & disgust.” She demanded action against the culprits under sections 153A, 153B, 506, 509, 354A, 66 and 67.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, MP from Shiv Sena, also raised her concern regarding the matter and assured that stern action will be taken “against such rampant misogyny and communal targeting of women”.

Bully-Bai is Another Version of Sulli-deals from July 2021

Earlier in July, a similar case was registered by the Delhi Cyber Police after they received a complaint about an unidentified group uploading photos of Muslim women without their consent on an app called ‘Sulli deals’.

The ‘Bulli Bai’ app appeared to be a second version of ‘Sulli Deals’ which trolled the Muslim women, used their photos inappropriately and displayed them as up for sale. The apparent purpose of the app was to humiliate and harass the women. The app was removed by GitHub, after the complaints.

Delhi and Mumbai Police Began the Investigation

The Delhi Police has responded on Twitter saying that the matter has been taken cognisance of. They tweeted: “Concerned officials have been directed to take appropriate action”. Mumbai cyber police also have initiated a probe in connection with this objectionable content.

According to PTI, two FIRs were filed by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police in the ‘Sulli Deals’ controversy last year but no proper action could be taken against those perpetrators.

Officials’ and Netizens’ Reactions to this Cybercrime

Congress MP from Bihar Dr Md Jawaid has appealed for action against the culprits in his letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, undersigned by 56 other MPs. AIMIM President, Asaduddin Owaisi, in his tweet, asked for action by the Delhi police against this “disgusting” deed.

Hiba Beg, another journalist who was subjected to this harassment, blamed “Modi’s India” saying Muslim women “are not safe in this country”. Several other tweets also showed this same line of thoughts shifting the focus from the unidentified perpetrators and their ulterior motive to the tension between different religions giving it a communal colour.

Update: Two Accused Arrested

The Mumbai police on Tuesday arrested Vishal Kumar Jha, a 21-year-old engineering student from Bengaluru, for allegedly sharing the content from the ‘Bulli app’ through his Twitter handle. Reportedly, Jha was not the developer of the app but was accused of sharing the content online. He was sent to Police custody by Bandra court till January 10.

“Co-accused Vishal Kumar opened an account by the name Khalsa supremacist. On Dec 31, he changed the names of other accounts to resemble Sikh names, ” Ani reported.

After arresting Vishal Jha, Mumbai Police detained the prime accused Shweta Singh, an 18-year-old woman from Uttarakhand. Singh was handling three accounts connected with the ‘Bulli Bai’ app. Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar reported, “Uttarakhand police didn’t question the accused as the probe is conducted by the Mumbai police only which is in the know of the case detail.”

The woman was produced before a local judge in Udham Singh Nagar district for her transit remand. Female police officers are yet to arrive in Uttarakhand to bring her to Mumbai, a district police officer reported.

The hint of further arrests is evident in a statement of police officials: “The detained woman and the arrested man became friends via social media site – Instagram. The racket behind the app includes many more people.”

 

 

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