'Custodial interrogation needed': Why Mumbai court rejected

Bulli bai app case: The Mumbai sessions court has rejected the bail plea of Vishal Kumar Jha, one of the accused in the Bulli bai app case, saying that a thorough custodial interrogation is required.

The Mumbai sessions court on Monday rejected the bail plea of one of the accused in the Bullibai app case, Vishal Jha, citing that custodial interrogation of the 21-year-old would be needed. The court also said that Jha’s role cannot be separated from the rest of the accused at this stage of the probe.

“The investigation needs to be carried out and at this stage, the role of accused Vishal Jha cannot be bifurcated from the rest of the accused,” the court said.

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"In order to investigate the undetected aspects of the crime, custodial interrogation is required. Therefore, at this stage, as the investigation is in progress, the prayer of the accused for release on bail cannot be allowed," said Justice Sanjashree Gharat.

Jha, an engineering student, was arrested in Bengaluru on January 4 and remanded to police custody and then sent to judicial custody after he contracted Covid. Soon after that, he moved the magistrate’s court for bail, which was rejected.

Jha then approached the Sessions Court for bail and while rejecting it, the judge observed that Niraj Bishnoi, who is accused of developing the scandalous BulliBai app had done so with the help of the other accused in the case, including Jha. “The said app was used for virtual purchase and sale of Muslim women.

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