Bulli Bai App: The goal is to degrade, humiliate and harass, some of its targets said. (Representational)
Complaints about hundreds of Muslim women listed for "auction" on a dodgy app with photographs sourced without permission have triggered a major controversy for the second time in less than a year.
The police in Delhi said they were investigating a case filed by journalist Ismat Ara while Priyanka Chaturvedi, an MP from Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena, said a probe had also been launched in Mumbai.
The Mumbai cyber police have begun an investigation into the objectionable content on the app 'Bulli Bai', an official told news agency PTI.
The app appeared to be a clone of Sulli Deals which triggered a row last year by offering users a "Sulli" - a derogatory term used by right-wing social media trolls for Muslim women - calling them "deals of the day".
While there was no real sale involved, the purpose of the app was to degrade, humiliate and harass, some of its targets said.
"The app 'Bulli Bai' works just the same way as 'Sulli Deals' did. Once you open it, you randomly find a Muslim woman's face being displayed as Bulli Bai," a social media user said.
Muslim women with a strong presence on Twitter have been singled out and their photos were listed on the platform once again.
The abuse drew strong condemnation on Twitter.
The app appeared to have been taken down after being posted on the Microsoft-owned software sharing platform GitHub which allows anyone to upload an in-development app.
Removing the Sulli Bai app after complaints last time, GitHub had said, "We suspended user accounts following the investigation of reports of such activity, all of which violate our policies."
According to PTI, two First Information Reports or FIRs were filed by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police in the 'Sulli Deals' controversy last year after photos of Muslim women were misused but no significant action was taken against those responsible.