POLICE REGISTER FIR IN ‘BULLI BAI’ APP CASE

The Hyderabad police registered an FIR against the Bulli Bai app which had put women from the Muslim community up for ‘auction’. Meanwhile, Women and Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee (WTOJAC) also approached the Telangana State Women’s Commission seeking help.

Based on a complaint from veteran social activist Khalida Parveen, the Hyderabad police registered an FIR in the case under Section 67 of the IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form), and Sections 354D (stalking of women) and 509 (act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.

The app targeted several outspoken Muslim women, Khalida said, adding that those who built the app seemed to have targeted Muslim women for ‘the resilience they have been showing against the current government.’ This was the second time an incident of ‘auctioning’ of Muslim women has happened in less than a year. The ‘Bulli Bai’ app appeared to be a clone of ‘Sulli Deals’ which came to light in July 2020, also on the GitHub platform. Khalida also asked the police to book GitHub for facilitating a platform to commit the crime for the second time.

“We believe that the Telangana state can and must uphold communal harmony and act promptly against any attempt to create communal disharmony and enmity. Targeting Muslim women in this manner is a gross violation of their fundamental rights as equal citizens and disturbs the peace and tranquillity in the community. It creates a fear among them, especially younger Muslim women,” said Parveen.