Agencies / New Delhi / Indore
Delhi Police today arrested a Madhya Pradesh man who is the alleged creator of the application ‘Sulli Deals’. This is the first arrest made in the “Sulli Deals” app case.
The app, which was launched last year, had listed Muslim women for ‘auction’ with photographs sourced without permission and doctored.
‘Sulli Deals’ and the recently created ‘Bulli Bai’ applications allegedly uploaded photos of Muslim women without their consent and inappropriate remarks were passed against them. Both the apps used the hosting platform ‘GitHub’ to auction the stolen photos.
The accused, Aumkareshwar Thakur, was apprehended by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) of Delhi Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.
“Om Thakur has been arrested from Indore. He is the main mastermind behind the Sulli deal app case,” said KPS Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations Unit, Delhi Police Special Cell.
Thakur, 26, did his BCA from IPS Academy in Indore and is a resident of Newyork City Township, they said.
Police said that Thakur developed the code for the ‘Sulli Deals’ on GitHub and shared the app on Twitter.
Accused Aumkareshwar Thakur (26) did his BCA from IPS Academy in Indore and is a resident of Newyork City Township, they said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) KPS Malhotra said during preliminary interrogation, the accused admitted that he was a member of a group on Twitter and the idea to defame and troll Muslim women was shared there.
“He had developed the code on GitHub. The access of GitHub was with all the members of the group. He had shared the app on his Twitter account. The photos of the Muslim women were uploaded by the group members,” the officer said.
Investigation has revealed that the accused had joined the group on Twitter by the name of ‘Tradmahasabha’ in January 2020 using the handle @gangescion.
During various group discussions, the members had talked about trolling Muslim women, the police said.
“He admitted that he had developed the code/app on GitHub. After the uproar regarding the Sulli Deals app, he had deleted all his social media footprints,” the DCP said.
The Delhi Police said that further analysis of technical gadgets is underway to find out the codes/images related to the app.
Earlier in July, a case was registered by the Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police after it received a complaint about an unidentified group uploading photos of Muslim women on an app.
Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal had earlier said, “Acting on a complaint received on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal regarding “Sulli Deals” mobile application, a case under section 354-A of the Indian Penal Code has been registered and investigation taken up.”
The Indore police on Sunday said their Delhi counterparts have not shared any information with them about the arrest.
Police identified and arrested Thakur on the basis of the inputs they received during the questioning of ‘Bulli Bai’ app creator Niraj Bishnoi. Other than Bishnoi, three other accused have also been arrested in the Bulli Bai app case.