New Delhi, Jan 8 (LAB) The Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum (DHCWLF) have approached the Chief Justice of India, Justice NV Ramana to look into the matter of Bulli Bai app on which auction of Muslim women were being carried out.
In a letter written to the CJI 77 women lawyers of the association have requested him to take cognizance of the Bulli Bai app on which details of more than 100 prominent Muslim women were put out allowing users to participate in an ‘auction’ of these women.
The letter petition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, said that the “Sulli Deals” and “Bulli Deals” issues highlighted the failure of the Central and State governments to protect the minority community from flagrant violation of Article 21 of Constitution which guarantees right to live with dignity.
“We appeal to the Hon’ble CJI and his companion Hon’ble Judges to treat our letter and the articles attached herein, as a letter petition, highlighting the failure of the law enforcement agencies Central and State Governments to secure to the Minority Communities in India, their Fundamental Right to life with Dignity and Safety guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India and to put in place preventive guidelines to ensure accountability of law enforcement agencies and for PREVENTIVE actions so that these incidents never occur again,” the letter prayed.
Apps like Sulli Deals have created a sense of extreme insecurity among Muslim women in India, especially in the back drop of public calls of genocide of the Muslim community, the letter stated.
It further pointed out how the culprits trolled and subject Muslim women to surveillance and illegally used their photographs to put them up for auction as maids.
The Mumbai Police have arrested three people in connection with the app. One Bangalore based student Vishal Kumar and Uttarakhand natives Shweta Singh, Mayank Rawat were arrested.
The Delhi Police has also nabbed one Neeraj Bishnoi from Assam alleged to be “main conspirator” and creator of ‘Bulli Bai’.
The petition letter prayed that the top court should monitor the criminal investigation being conducted by Mumbai Police and ensure that the investigation is carried out into the Sulli Deals and Bulli Bai App incidences including investigation into the sources of funding and / or handlers of the persons who set up Sulli Bai & Bulli Bai App, money trail that financed the said App; and identifying the master minds behind the surveillance of Muslim women illegally auctioned vide the App.
“The plea prayed for directions to prevent the dehumanization of minorities by using pejoratives, “likening them to animals and germs, spreading fake news by disseminating fearful stereotypes, inciting others to harass or boycott the targeted communities, and giving calls for genocide against minority communities and strictly prohibiting the auctions of human beings like animals.”
The ‘Bulli bai’ app, which appeared on open source platform GitHub, put out details of more than 100 prominent Muslim women allowing users to participate in an ‘auction’ of those women.
It triggered an outrage and based on complaints by women who had been targeted by the app, the cyber cell of Mumbai police registered an FIR on January 1, 2022.
The FIR was registered against relevant Twitter handles and developer of Bulli Bai for offences under Sections 153A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion etc), 153B (imputations prejudicial to national-integration), 295A (insulting religious beliefs), 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./ LAB/SNG/