Bulli Bai: Engineering student picked up from college

Praveen Kumar | NT

Bengaluru: A reputed engineering college in South Bengaluru witnessed feverish action Monday morning after a 21-year-old engineering student was picked up from the college premises by a team of Mumbai police. The student identified as Vishal Kumar Jha was taken into custody in connection with the ‘Bulli Bai’ app case.

The Mumbai Cyber Crime police who came to the college at around 11.30 am ,initially claimed they were kin of Jha. The student who was attending classes, was asked to come to the faculty room.

“Initially they did not introduce themselves as police officers. After the student came to the faculty room, they introduced themselves as police officers by producing their identity cards. Terming their operation ‘secret’, the policemen took the student along with them. As a protocol, Jha’s parents who are in Bihar were immediately called and briefed about the developments. We do not know why the police picked the student,” the Head of the Department in which Jha is pursuing his engineering degree told NT.

Jha who is a native of Bihar was staying outside the college premises. He was in the third semester of his engineering course and started attending offline classes from October 4th.

“He was a good student and well behaved. There are no complaints against him from anybody in the college. However he had issues with attendance and this was conveyed to his parents by the concerned committee. Unless there is concrete proof against the student about his involvement in any kind of illegal activity, the college cannot act. Everything is in the preliminary stages,” the HoD who wished to remain anonymous said.

The Mumbai cybercrime police are said to have taken Jha to the place where he was staying in KS Layout and checked the premises. On Monday night, he was taken to Mumbai in a flight.

The team of Mumbai cybercrime police was headed by Dr Rashmi Karandikar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Cyber Crime Cell, Mumbai Police. The student has been handed over to the custody of the police till January 10th by a Mumbai based court. The court has also granted permission to the police to search Jha’s residence in Bengaluru to gather evidence.