Sulli Deals app creator gets bail

The bail was granted due to the fact that he cannot influence forensic reports and that he is not at flight risk

A court on Monday granted bail to Aumkareshwar Thakur, the alleged creator of the derogatory Sulli Deals app that maliciously put up photos of prominent women personalities from the Muslim community for "auction".

Dr Pankaj Sharma, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Patiala House Court, while granting the bail, noted that merely because replies from different intermediaries and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) are awaited, it is not sufficient reason to deny bail to the accused as he is in not in a position to influence FSL result or replies.

The court observed that the accused is a first-time offender and a young person; as such, prolonged incarceration would be detrimental to his overall well-being. The accused has roots in the community and he is not a flight risk, the court said in the order.

Accordingly, the accused was admitted to bail subject to furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 with conditions. Thakur, 25, a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Indore was apprehended by the Delhi Police on January 8.

Also Read — Young, educated and hatemongers: Why apps like 'Bulli Bai/ Sulli Deals' get created

The derogatory app had surfaced in July 2021, where photos of Muslim women were displayed without their consent.

The Delhi Police's Cyber Crime Unit had registered an FIR under section 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code on July 8.

Apart from Sulli Deals, another similar app Bulli Bai came to light in January 2022 after a Delhi-based woman journalist lodged a police complaint stating that she was being targeted by an unidentified group of people on a mobile application.

Bulli Bai too had a number of pictures of women, including journalists, social workers, students and famous personalities, accompanied by derogatory content. The app listed hundreds of Muslim women for "auction". Its creator, Niraj Bishnoi, was arrested by the Delhi Police on January 6.

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