FIR filed on journalist’s complaint over doctored photos

PTI, Jan 2, 2022, 1:14 PM IST

The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against unknown persons for allegedly uploading a doctored picture of a woman journalist on a website, officials said on Sunday.

The journalist had lodged an online complaint and she shared a copy of the complaint on Twitter.

The case was registered at the Cyber Police station of the southeast district on Saturday night, the police said.

A senior police officer said the case has been registered under sections 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 354 A (sexual harassment and punishment for harassment) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of the journalist alleging that she is being targeted by an unidentified group of people on ”Bulli Bai” portal.

The police said no arrests have been made in the case so far and a probe is underway.

According to the complaint, the woman, who works with an online news portal, sought immediate registration of an FIR and investigation against an unknown set of people who are ”seeking to harass and insult Muslim women” on social media.

”I was shocked to find out this morning that a website/portal called bullibai.github.io (since deleted) had a doctored picture of me in an improper, unacceptable and clearly lewd context. This needs immediate action, as the same is clearly designed to harass me and other similarly situated independent women and journalists,” the woman said in the complaint.

”I enclose snapshots of the said tweet directed at me herein as well as of other tweets. The term ‘Bulli Bai’ itself seems disrespectful and the content of this website/portal (bullibai.github.io) is clearly aimed at insulting Muslim women as the derogatory term ‘Bulli’ is used exclusively for Muslim women and the entire website seems to have been designed with the intent of embarrassing and insulting Muslim women,” she added.

Responding on Twitter, the Delhi Police said taking cognizance of the matter, officials concerned have been directed to take appropriate action.

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 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 on Wednesday and investigation took up.”