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Over one month and two FIRs – by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police – later, not a single arrest has been made in connection with the 'Sulli Deals' controversy.
In a disturbing display of selective misogyny targeting Muslim women, photos of hundreds of them were uploaded by an unidentified group on an app using GitHub – by the name of 'Sulli Deals.'
Sulla or Sulli is a derogatory term used to refer to Muslims.
While the app came to light on 4 July, the Delhi Police filed an FIR after social media furor on 8 July.
Hana Mohsin Khan, a pilot by profession, told The Quint, that it was a deliberate attempt by the cops to not investigate as it concerned Muslim women.
Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR on 6 July under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) — insulting the modesty of a woman — and Sections 66 and 67 of the Information Technology Act — transferring obscene material — as sought by the complaint of Khan.
In Delhi, an FIR was registered under Section 354A (sexual harassment ) of the IPC on 8 July after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) wrote to the cops, demanding action.
Poet-activist Nabiya Khan filed a complaint with the Delhi Police seeking registration of an FIR. While her complaint was filed on 12 July, over a month later, she is yet to hear from them about the status of the same.
Nabiya's complaint sought an FIR under relevant sections of the IPC, The Information Technology Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, in a statement said:
According to India Ahead News, Kolkata resident Noor Mahvish filed her complaint about the 'Sulli Deals' app at the Lalbazar police headquarters on 9 July. As with Nabiya, one month later, she is yet to receive information about her case.
Speaking to The Quint, DCW Chief Swati Maliwal said that the Delhi Police have informed her that GitHub, the hosting platform, was refusing to share data with her.
GitHub is essentially a hosting platform, with a repository of open source codes. The app 'Sulli Deals' was created and used on GitHub.
"Now they have informed that they have started a process of seeking details from GitHub through a mutual legal treaty. DCW is following up the matter and will ensure that the guilty are punished," she added.
Maliwal has summoned the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Delhi Police Cyber Cell Anyesh Roy for failing to provide information on the action taken in complaints. He has been asked to appear before the DCW on 18 August.
The Quint has reached out to Delhi Police. The article will be updated when they respond.
"I want them to be fair. I ask them to to be just, take this more seriously because if they are not going to stop this now, it is going to be more unsafe for women and especially Muslim women. I want them to make an arrest and I want them to come to bottom of this. We need closure," Hana Mohsin Khan added, in response to the Delhi Police's statement.
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