Clubhouse app chat case: Delhi Police arrest man from Lucknow

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The Delhi Police has arrested an 18-year-old man from Lucknow in connection with a chat on the Clubhouse app in which objectionable and abusive comments were passed against women, officials said on Saturday. Police said that a team was sent to Lucknow and the 18-year-old, who registered himself with the user-ID 'Bismillah' on the app, was apprehended.

The man claims that he created an audio chat room on Clubhouse on the instructions of a person, he identified as 'Sallos', Deputy Commissioner of Police KPS Malhotra said.

The officer said the teenager also told the team that he handed over the chat room's moderator key to 'Sallos'. The 18-year-old's mobile phone has been seized and he will be joining investigations at Delhi by evening, police said.

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.

Earlier this week, 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 motu cognisance of 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.

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