'Sulli Deals', form of hate speech in India, must be condemned: UN official
United Nations/Geneva, Jan 12: Harassment of Muslim women in India through social media apps such as "Sulli Deals" must be condemned and prosecuted as soon as they occur, a UN Special Rapporteur has said.
UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Dr Fernand de Varennes took to Twitter to raise concern on the issue of minorities in India, saying Muslim women in India are harassed and sold in social media apps .
"#Minority Muslim women in #India are harassed & 'sold' in #socialmedia apps, #SulliDeals, a form of #HateSpeech, must be condemned and prosecuted as soon as they occur. All #HumanRights of minorities need to be fully & equally protected, Varennes said in a tweet on Tuesday.
The Delhi Police last week arrested Aumkareshwar Thakur, 26, who is believed to be the creator of "Sulli Deals" app from Madhya Pradesh's Indore, the first arrest made in the case.
Hundreds of Muslim women were listed for auction on the mobile application with photographs sourced without permission and doctored.
The accused, a Bachelor of Computer Application degree holder, admitted that he was a member of a group on Twitter and the idea to defame and troll Muslim women was shared there.
"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," a senior police officer said.
In a separate "Bulli Bai" case, the Delhi Police on January 1 registered an FIR in connection with an online complaint submitted by a city-based woman journalist against unknown persons for allegedly uploading her doctored picture on a portal.
The case pertains to the creation of the 'Bulli Bai' app, which targeted Muslim women by putting up their images online for "auction".
According to Delhi Police, Niraj Bishnoi, 21, who was arrested from Assam, was the alleged mastermind and creator of the ''Bulli Bai'' application.
He had disclosed during interrogation that he was in touch with the person behind the Twitter handle @sullideals, the alleged creator of the ''Sulli Deals'' app that was hosted on GitHub in July last year.
#Minority Muslim women in #India are harassed & 'sold' in #socialmedia apps, #SulliDeals, a form of #HateSpeech, must be condemned and prosecuted as soon as they occur. All #HumanRights of minorities need to be fully & equally protected. https://t.co/A8OBQPKVAx
— UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (@fernanddev) January 11, 2022
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Drunk 21-year-old son stabs father to death in Chikkamagaluru
Chikkamagaluru: In an incident reported from Chikkamaguluru district, a 21-year-old youth allegedly stabbed his father to death while under the influence of alcohol at Gupta Shettihalli near Aldur here.
The deceased has been identified as Manjunath (51), while his son Ranjan (21) has been arrested in connection with the murder.
According to police, father and son shared a close bond, often even drinking together. Despite their modest financial condition, Manjunath had fulfilled his son’s wishes, including buying him a motorcycle. On Saturday night, the two were drinking together when a minor argument escalated into a heated quarrel. In a fit of rage, Ranjan reportedly attacked his father with a sharp knife.
Though Manjunath’s wife initially applied turmeric powder on the wound as first aid, believing it to be a minor injury, the deep cut led to heavy bleeding. Manjunath succumbed to the injuries in his sleep at home.
After the incident, Ranjan allegedly tried to mislead relatives and villagers by giving contradictory statements. To some, he claimed his father had been accidentally injured while he was trying to stop a fight between his parents. To others, he said Manjunath had died due to illness.
Believing these versions, family members and locals had even begun making arrangements for the funeral. However, Aldur Circle Inspector Somegowda and his team, acting on a tip-off, rushed to the spot, detained Ranjan, and during interrogation uncovered the truth about the murder.
The police investigation and action have drawn appreciation from local residents.
