Bulli bai app case: Complainant gets threats from unknown callers

The Mumbai woman, whose complaint unravelled the Bulli Bai case, is being threatened by unknown callers. The 34-year-old resident has urged the city cybercops to register a fresh FIR, said sources in the police department. On Monday, the probe into the case moved to the slow track after one of the accused, Vishal Kumar Jha, tested positive for COVID-19.

The Mumbai cops acted swiftly after the woman filed a complaint on January 2. So far, the cops and Mumbai and Delhi have arrested five people, including an 18-year-old woman, for allegedly targeting over 100 prominent Muslim women through the Bulli Bai app. They have also found that the same set of people was involved in the offensive Sulli Deals app that had surfaced last year.

"Now the Mumbai-based complainant is flooded with calls from unknown people and is being threatened," said a source.

City cops with accused Mayank Rawat and Shweta Singh on Monday

"The callers are asking her how she got to know about the Twitter handles which she has mentioned in her FIR. They are also asking why she approached the police and filed an FIR," said the source. Confirming the development, a source at Mumbai cyber cell said, "We have received an email from the complainant on Sunday night. Subsequently, we have registered a Non-Cognisable offence and are investigating into the matter."

Sources said the woman in her complaint mentioned five Twitter handles - @bullibai_, @sage0x11, @hmmachaniccoki, @jattkhalsa and @wannabesigmaf. The FIR says, "The bio details of @bullibai_ say that Bulli Bai is a community-driven open source app by Khalsa Sikh Force (KSF). It has tweeted saying ‘There is a lot of problem in finding M maids in India, because of Islamophobic Hindu nationalists. So, we at KSF have created an app which will let u choose any random M maid from 100+ options'."

The complainant further says in the FIR that the handle @wannabesigmaf posted her photograph on Twitter and the accused wrote: "she is multipurpose bulli, a law student, ma sikh brothers wants to learn law can learn from her, she can teach law and also serve as a part time escort maid, one of the perfect bulli (sic)."

mid-day got in touch with her, but she refused to comment.

Last week she had told mid-day, "I am being flooded with the phone calls from many unknown numbers…this was really shocking for me to know that the young students are involved in this despicable act!"

Accused tests positive

On Monday, the Mumbai police produced accused Shweta Singh and Mayank Rawat in the metropolitan magistrate court in Bandra and sought an extension of their custody. Additional Public Prosecutor Prasad Joshi told that court that the third accused Vishal Kumar Jha had tested positive for COVID-19 was admitted to a BMC-run facility at Kalina. While investigating officer Mausami Patil wanted to make some express requests, the court asked her to give them in writing.

Citing Jha's Coronavirus infection, an officer privy to the investigation said the probe will now get delayed. "The court has sent Jha into judicial remand under medical observation. Now the investigating officer will have to write an application to the court to convince the judge to grant his custody for further investigation," said a source from the Bandra court.

As he sought the extension of police custody of the accused, APP Joshi told the court that they were using Protonmail to conceal the original IP address while committing the crime. He said the police have seized four mobile phones, eight SIM cards and one laptop. "Over 64 BG data on the laptop needs to be thoroughly investigated, for which the presence of accused is required," Joshi told the court. He also said the city cops will need to investigate if those arrested by the Delhi police for creating Twitter handles with the initials GIYU have any link with Jha, Singh and Rawat.

Defence lawyer Sandeep Sherkhane argued in the court for his client Rawat. He said, "He is a young boy and topper in college. He had just followed a link which was forwarded to him on social media. He has not created the link, nor he made any app, nor posted anything. He has no role in the offence and has been falsely implicated." The court extended the custody of Singh and Rawat till Friday.

Jha's relatives were upset as they were not informed by the police about his health. The investigating officer told them, "We got to know about it last evening and were busy rushing him to admit to the hospital."

Five
No. of people arrested in the case so far