Twitter responded late Tuesday night, asking them to come through normal channels since this is not a “national security threat matter”. (File) Days after lodging an FIR against unknown persons for allegedly uploading the photo of a woman journalist on a website alongside disparaging comments, the Delhi Police has approached Twitter urgently seeking details of two handles they believe are connected with the case. Twitter responded late Tuesday night, asking them to come through normal channels since this is not a “national security threat matter”.
The website was made using software development platform GitHub on December 31 and doctored photos of at least 100 Muslim women, along with lewd remarks and comments, were posted there. GitHub subsequently removed the content, but many Twitter users tagged the women and posted screenshots of the webpage.
On January 2, the South-east district police lodged an FIR against unknown persons and subsequently transferred the case to its Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit on January 4. Police are now planning to get a nod for a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to seek information about the app from its foreign-based hosting platform.
After lodging the FIR, police had sent a letter to GitHub seeking details of the website developer. From Twitter, they sought information about two accounts which they believe posted about the app first. The accounts were deactivated when victims started sharing their ordeal. “Sensing the gravity of the case, we asked Twitter to provide details of their IP addresses on an urgent basis, but they responded on Tuesday, asking to come through proper channels since it’s not a national security threat matter,” a senior police privy to the investigation said.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
