By Nava Thakuria*
New Delhi/Geneva: The Delhi Police today arrested Niraj Bishnoi, the 20-year-old creator of the ‘Bulli Bai’ app, and claimed that the case was now cracked. “He has confessed to having created the app,” Deputy Commissioner of Police K.P.S. Malhotra, said.
It may be mentioned that over a hundred women, largely Muslim personalities, were listed with doctored photographs in the app as readied for online auction (to sell as maids) in the first week of January 2022. Those included in the list belonged to various professions including journalism. Lately the app was being closed down.
This was not the first time that a group of women is put on public auction. A similar humiliating app ‘Sulli Deals’ was made public in July 2021 targeting nearly 80 minority community women. Though there was no actual auction, the initiative was enough to abuse the women, who remained otherwise vocal against various injustices.
A police complaint had been lodged in the capital city of India after a number of women activists expressed their dismays over the app. After New Delhi, similar complaints were also registered in Mumbai city also under various sections of Indian laws dealing with gender bias, sexual harassment, religious enmity.
The Mumbai police had already detained three students (including a young lady, understood as the prime suspect) involved in the case and continued the investigation. Union information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assured all support for justice to the affected individuals.
Also read: DUJ condemns ‘targeting’ of Muslim women journalists through social media
Earlier today, expressing shock over the repeated incident of targeting women, including many Indian scribes in social media, the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), had demanded proper actions against the individuals behind the ‘Bulli Bai’ online application.
“We urge the Indian federal government in New Delhi to take necessary actions against the perpetrators. Virtual attacks against the journalists are seemingly aimed to discourage them in performing their duties, which can not be accepted,” said Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of PEC.
*Senior journalist and PEC’s India representative
– with inputs from global bihari bureau
