[Bulli Bai case] Vishal Jha moves Delhi court for anticipatory bail in Delhi Police FIR

Vishal Sudhirkumar Jha, the first person to be arrested in the Bulli Bai case, has moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in the case registered against him by the Delhi Police [Vishal Sudhir Kumar Jha v State].

. Jha's plea will be heard tomorrow by District and Sessions Judge, Saket court.

Jha is currently in judicial custody in Mumbai in relation to case registered against him by the Mumbai Police in connection with the Bulli Bai app.

The Delhi Police had registered a separate first information report based on the complaint of journalist Ismat Ara, one of women who were targeted by the Bulli Bai app, for offences under Sections 153A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion etc), 153B (imputations prejudicial to national-integration), 354A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

Jha is seeking anticipatory bail apprehending arrest by Delhi Police.

In his application filed through Advocate Shivam Deshmukh, Jha has claimed that he was falsely implicated in the matter and had not committed any offence.

The creator of the Bulli Bai app is someone else who has already been arrested by the investigating agency, the plea said.

Even if for argument's sake it is accepted that the applicant was in any way involved in the matter, the role of the applicant is limited to following the Bulli Bai app, and the same does not constitute any offence, it was contended.

. He also pointed out that a Mumbai court already confiscated his phone laptop and two sim cards, and he is in no position to tamper with evidence after this.

"All the offenses are punishable with less than three years and therefore, custodial interrogation in the present case is unwarranted to avoid pre-judicial sentence to the present applicant," his application said.

He has tested positive for COVID and needs to be around his family, the plea added.

. The case has its genesis in an app 'Bulli bai', which appeared on open-source platform GitHub putting 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 the Mumbai Police registered an FIR on January 1, 2022, against relevant Twitter handles and the developer of Bulli Bai for offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.

. Jha was arrested from Bengaluru and is currently in Mumbai jail. He has filed a bail application before a Mumbai court as well.

[Bulli Bai case] Vishal Jha moves Delhi court for anticipatory bail in Delhi Police FIR

Zeb Hasan

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