Cops seek information from Twitter, GitHub over auctioning of Muslim women on Bulli Bai app

The Delhi Police has written to Twitter seeking information about the first account handler on its platform who reported about the ‘Bulli Bai’ app, which had offensive contents being written about women of a particular community. Police said they have also sought information from Github platform to share details about the developer of "Bulli Bhai" application, as a part of ongoing investigation.

Earlier, the National Commission for Women had also written to the Delhi Police to expedite its action in the case involving 'Bulli Bai', a dodgy app that has listed Muslim women for auction, to ensure that such crime does not recur.

According to a senior police official, they have also asked Twitter to removed or block any offensive content shared through the alleged "Bulli Bhai" app on its platform.

“As part of the ongoing probe into the matter, we have written to Twitter seeking information about the account handle who had first tweeted about the "Bulli Bhai" app. This is to know how the concerned person came across the alleged application who had offensive contents being written about woman of a particular community,” he said.

The police said they have also approached Github platform to share details about the developer of the "Bulli Bhai" application available on its platform to know the intention behind creation of such an application and its whereabouts.

The development comes after the Delhi Police on Saturday night registered an FIR against unknown persons for allegedly uploading a doctored picture of a woman journalist on a website. The journalist had lodged an online complaint and she shared the copy of the complaint on Twitter.

The case was registered at the Cyber Police station of the southeast district on Saturday night, the police had said.

A senior police officer had said the case has been registered under sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 354 A (sexual harassment and punishment for harassment) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of the journalist alleging that she is being targeted by an unidentified group of people on "Bulli Bai" portal.

Netizens and women rights groups have expressed outrage over the matter. Hundreds of Muslim women were listed for "auction" on 'Bulli Bai' app with photographs sourced without permission. It has happened for the second time in less than a year. The app appeared to be a clone of Sulli Deals which triggered a row last year.

According to the complaint, the woman, who works with an online news portal, sought immediate registration of an FIR and investigation against an unknown set of people who are "seeking to harass and insult Muslim women" on social media.

“I was shocked to find out this morning that a website/portal called bullibai.github.io (since deleted) had a doctored picture of me in an improper, unacceptable and clearly lewd context. This needs immediate action, as the same is clearly designed to harass me and other similarly situated independent women and journalists," the woman said in the complaint.

"I enclose snapshots of the said tweet directed at me herein as well as of other tweets. The term 'Bulli Bai' itself seems disrespectful and the content of this website/portal (bullibai.github.io) is clearly aimed at insulting Muslim women as the derogatory term 'Bulli' is used exclusively for Muslim women and the entire website seems to have been designed with the intent of embarrassing and insulting Muslim women," she added.