The Supreme Court's Bench comprising of Justice S. K. Kaul and Justice M. M. Sundresh today issued notice on the plea by the prime accused in the Sulli Deals application case on his plea to club the multiple FIRs registered in different parts of the country. The Bench, however, refused to stay the multiple FIRs, expressing doubt about whether the FIRs were for the same offence or not.

Justice Kaul said that the offences are different. There are two websites. "You have uploaded photographs of different people", Justice Kaul said. You have uploaded photos of multiple persons on both websites, the judge observed.

Senior Advocate appearing for the petitioner said that each FIRs mention other FIRs registered in other parts of the country.

The petition was filed in January this year by the accused Aumkareshwar Thakur seeking that the FIRs filed against him in relation to the Sulli Deals application be clubbed together.

The Supreme Court had earlier declined urgent listing of the matter when it was mentioned before the Bench led by Chief Justice N. V. Ramana. The Bench while declining the urgent listing of the matter had observed that, "If you have committed a crime you will have to face it."

The petition claims that consecutive registration of FIRs in Delhi, UP and Maharashtra is beyond the ambit of Sections 154 and 156 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and is an abuse of power by the investigating agencies.

FIRs had been filed against the petitioner in the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra for targetting Muslim women through the app and uploading photos of the women on the app without their consent.

Multiple FIRs

Deepankar Malviya