Lewd remarks against women: 6 part of Clubhouse app identified

New Delhi: Six persons who took part in the Clubhouse conversation where obscene and derogatory remarks were made against Muslim women have been identified, Delhi Police said on Saturday, adding all six individuals have joined the ongoing investigation into the case.

“All the six were made to join the investigation either at their place of stay or at office,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) KPS Malhotra told IANS.

Notably, the cyber cell of Mumbai police has also arrested three men from Haryana in the same case after a complaint was lodged in Mumbai by a woman.

On January 17, a video of a Clubhouse conversation on the topic ‘Muslim gals are more beautiful than hindu gals’ went viral on social media.

In the said conversation, the participants were allegedly heard making obscene, vulgar and derogatory remarks targeting Muslim women and girls.

Then next day on Tuesday, January 18, taking suo-moto cognizance over the issue, Delhi Commission for Women issued a notice to the Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police demanding immediate registration of an FIR and a punitive action against the alleged persons.

An FIR was then registered under sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 354A (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code at the Special Cell police station.

The DCP further informed that no one among the six identified have been arrested in the present case.

“Before proceeding with any arrest, the authenticity of the video recording is to be ascertained. We have to rule out any voice modulation in the video, as the same may affect the trial of the case,” Malhotra said.

According to the official, the only evidence in the present case is the first source, who had video recorded the audio conversation.

“That is the only evidence of the vulgar remarks, as the app does not record the audio conversations in the chat rooms,” he said.

Before making any arrest in the case and proceeding further, Malhotra said that the authenticity of the video and the voice matching of the alleged persons is to be ascertained. – IANS