Mumbai Court Discharges Accused in Bulli Bai Case, Says Following App Alone Is Not Offence

A Mumbai magistrate discharged Vishal Jha in one Bulli Bai app prosecution after examining whether the charge sheet disclosed an offence against him.

Background

The case concerned an application that displayed manipulated photographs of Muslim women in a purported online auction. The accused argued that merely following the app did not constitute the charged conduct.

Legal issue

The court assessed the specific material alleged against Jha at the discharge stage, not the legality of the wider application or conduct of other accused.

Court’s approach

It found that the prosecution material did not establish a sufficient basis to proceed against him on the charge sheet as presented.

What follows

The discharge applies to this accused and case. It does not decide other proceedings or diminish the seriousness of the underlying online abuse allegations.