'Sulli Deals' Case: Delhi L-G Grants Approval To Prosecute Alleged App Creator

Aumkareshwar Thakur was arrested in January this year and was granted bail in March.

Aumkareshwar Thakur, alleged creator of the Sulli Deals app.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor V K Saxena on Sunday, 11 December, granted permission to prosecute Aumkareshwar Thakur (25), for allegedly creating 'Sulli Deals' – an app on GitHub where photos of hundreds of Muslim women were posted with misgogynistic comments.

Why this matters: In July 2021, photos of several Muslim women were uploaded on this app, with accompanying text: "deal of the day." Thakur was arrested in January 2022, after another app targeting Muslim women – 'Bulli Bai' – surfaced on the internet.

Who is he? Thakur, a native of Indore, has done his BCA from IPS Academy in the city. He was arrested by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell in January.

"He had developed the code/app on GitHub. After the uproar regarding the Sulli Deals app, he deleted his social media footprint. Analysis of his gadgets is underway to find out the codes and images related to the Sulli Deals app," the Delhi Police had said.

The big point: The accused was booked under the Indian Penal Code on charges of promoting enmity between different groups and certain provisions of the IT Act in January. However, in March, a Delhi court granted him bail saying he’s a first-time offender and so “prolonged incarceration would be detrimental to his overall well-being and career.”

What next?

“The L-G has granted sanction to prosecute main accused Aumkareshwar Thakur in the case under Section 196 of CrPC. Delhi Police will now be able to prosecute Thakur, who had created the app and… a Twitter handle… with aim of insulting Muslim women,” said a police source to The Indian Express.