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PIL filed in Delhi High Court seeking SIT, CBI probe in ‘Bois Locker Room’ case

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PIL filed in Delhi High Court seeking SIT, CBI probe in ‘Bois Locker Room’ case

A Public Interest Litigation has been moved in the Delhi High Court demanding an SIT or CBI probe in the ‘Bois Locker Room’ case social media group case in which a bunch of high-profile guys shared objectionable pictures of minor girls and talking about raping them.

The plea is filed by Dev Ashish Dubey through his advocates Dushyant Tiwari and Omprakash Parihar on Friday. The plea is seeking protection for the women and minor girls who called out the alleged activities in the social media group. The plea will be heard on May 13.

The petition mentioned that the screenshots from the Instagram group “Bois locker room”, were shared by some social media users, that revealed the obscene chats by the students of class 11 and 12. The boys are also sharing pictures of underage girls and indulging in lured discussions about their physique. The group is also alleged of sharing nude/morphed photographs of women.

The girls who called out the consequences can face threat, the plea said

The petition said, “The group is run by and has a membership of 16-18-year-old boys from posh schools in South Delhi, all of whom were involved in the objectification of their classmates and other women, some as young as 14 years of age. The obscene and objectionable pictures and vulgar comments by the members of the group and once their comment come to light, instead of being fearful and apologetic, they’re openly threatening girls who called out with dire consequences, which shows that these girls might face threat such as rape, gang-rape torture, etc.”

The act can be charged with serious offences like defamation

The plea claimed that the offenses these boys have committed includes serious charges like defamation, threat, which are punishable under several sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The petition added, “The offence committed by these students through the group is illegal and amounts of violation os various laws in India. Morphing photos and sharing images of people’s private parts is a violation of Section 66E of the Information Technology Act, as well as 354C of the Indian Penal Code.”

Offenders belong to a high-profile class, can avoid arrest

The plea said, “The Issue needs to be investigated by the SIT or CBI as these students belongs to high profile families and there is an apprehension that the investigation or inquiry conducted by the local police will be influenced and the wrongdoers will never be arrested and punished.”

Bois locker Room case

Recently, social media was awash with repugnant details of an Instagram chat group comprising of boys that discussed ‘gang-raping’ girls in a group called ‘Bois Locker Room’ (Bois, being a spin on the word ‘boys’). The group allegedly ran by teenage boys, involved graphic sexualisation and sharing of private photos of underage girls, objectifying them and planning gang-rapes with minor girls. The petrifying incident came to light after a girl from South Delhi shared a screenshot on social media and busted the said group and a host of other such groups.

PIL filed in SC seeking directives for centre to move International Court of Justice against China for spreading coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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PIL filed in SC seeking directives for centre to move International Court of Justice against China for spreading coronavirus

A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directives to the central government to approach the International Court of Justice for seeking reparations worth $ 600 billion from China for spreading the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic in the country that has so far killed about 2000 Indians and caused extensive financial damages to its once boisterous economy.

KK Ramesh, a resident of Madurai in Tamil Nadu filed the PIL today in the apex court in which he has listed Centre, Law Ministry, Health, Social Justice and empowerment ministries as respondents. The litigant, in his petition, alleges that the coronavirus, which causes the highly contagious COVID-19 disease, was intentionally created in a laboratory in China.

“There is substantial evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Laboratory,” the petition said.

Apropos of the reason to file the petition in the Supreme Court, the petitioner claimed that since a citizen cannot move the International Court of Justice and only countries can approach it, he has filed the PIL in the top court of the country.

Alleging that it was a deliberate ploy of China to undermine the emerging economies in the world, the petition said, “China intentionally tried to hoodwink India and the world by chalking up the cause of coronavirus to the animal market while there’s overwhelming proof that suggests that it is a biological and chemical weapon to weaken the powerful economies in the world. It deliberately created the biological weapon that killed a large number of people around the globe.”

Citing the Article 32 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner read, “The current writ petition is filed as public interest litigation, seeking a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ or order or direction or any suggestion or observation or particularly in the nature of writ, instructing the respondents 1 to 4 to approach the International Court of Justice and file a case of $ 600 billion against the People’s Republic of China.”

Growing clamour from the international countries to hold China accountable for the pandemic

There is a growing clamour from the countries staggering under the economic and human toll of the coronavirus to hold China accountable for unleashing a deadly contagion in the world that has affected 4 million people globally and caused 275,000+ fatalities. While many countries have so far abstained from seeking damages from China, fearing economic retribution from Beijing, the United States has been particularly vocal in holding China’s feet to the fire for indemnifying the losses borne by the country due to coronavirus.

Recently, the American president Donald Trump replied in affirmative when asked if he is seeking damages from China for the coronavirus pandemic. Trump responded claiming he is seeking “very substantial damages” from China for the economic downturn induced by the COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus.

The sheriff of Louisiana state in the United States has also sued China for the economic damages caused by the coronavirus outbreak. A class-action lawsuit was filed by Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards in the state of Louisiana on Friday on the basis of “economic damages” wrought by the Wuhan coronavirus.

Fox News Report claimed coronavirus originated in Wuhan Institute of Virology

Recently, a report published by Fox News makes a shocking revelation that the Wuhan coronavirus that has swept the globe was not a natural virus but a man-made one which was accidentally leaked by an intern working at the lab at Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

Mounting an attack against China for its possible complicity in the spread of the virus, US President Donald Trump took cognisance of the exclusive report published by the Fox News which alleged that though the virus is a naturally occurring strain among bats and not a bioweapon, it was being studied in the Wuhan lab and was eventually leaked by an intern.

West Bengal government has not approved any Shramik Express train from coronavirus-ravaged Maharashtra: Indian Railways

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal government has not approved any Shramik Express train from coronavirus-ravaged Maharashtra: Indian Railways

After Union Home Minister Amit Shah levelled serious allegations that the West Bengal government is not supporting the Centre in resolving the migrant crisis, the Indian Railways has echoed similar sentiments through its official Twitter account.

The Indian Railways asserted that while it has run more than 300 Shramik trains to shift the stranded migrant workers in different parts of the country to their respective hometowns, the West Bengal government had till today morning granted approval for only 2 trains, one from each Ajmer and Ernakulam to bring the migrants marooned in these regions back to West Bengal.

The Railways further added that only after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal approved an additional 7 Shramik trains- 2 from Punjab, 2 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Karnataka and 1 from Telangana.

Railways also revealed that West Bengal government has not approved any trains from Maharashtra, the state worst-afflicted by the menace of coronavirus, adding that there are requirements of 16 trains to West Bengal and currently 6 requests are pending for which approval is still awaited from WB.

It is pertinent to note that Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government has been accused of being opaque in its efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus outbreak. However, the latest incident demonstrates that the West Bengal government is not only has a nebulous coronavirus response but it has also displayed a lack of empathy for its own distressed migrant workers who are stuck in other states but are unable to return because of Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to approve Shramik Trains.

HM Amit Shah alleges Mamata Banerjee of stone-walling centre’s efforts to tackle the migrant crisis

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressing disappointment over West Bengal government’s reluctance to extend support to help migrant workers reach home.

In the letter to Mamata Banerjee, Amit Shah has stated that the Centre is not getting the required support from the state government to handle the migrant workers.

According to the reports, the Home Minister has said that the Central government is operating Shramik special trains to facilitate the return of migrant labourers to their native places, but Mamata Banerjee-led state government is not co-operating. Home Minister Shah has also demanded an answer on the Mamata government’s inaction over the migrants’ distress in Bengal.

AAP MLA Prakash Jarval arrested from Saket after a Delhi doctor committed suicide blaming him

OpIndia Staff
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AAP MLA Prakash Jarval arrested from Saket after a Delhi doctor committed suicide blaming him

Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Deoli assembly constituency, Prakash Jarval has been reportedly arrested by the Delhi police on Saturday evening. The MLA accused of abetting a doctor to suicide has been arrested from Saket of Delhi. The Delhi court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him that led to his arrest.

DCP South Atul Kumar Thakur said that the two accused including the MLA have been arrested. Both are under investigation.

The Saket court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Deoli MLA and the other accused from the Aam Aadmi Party. On the other hand, the MLA petitioned the court for anticipatory bail, which is set to be heard on Tuesday.

According to police officials, a team of about 15 policemen including ACP Sudhanshu Dhama, Vijay Chandel, and Neb Sarai’s SHO Naresh Solanki raided the MLA’s residence in Tigri on Friday afternoon. Govindpuri, Rohini, and other areas of Delhi were also raided. During this time, the assistants and others found at the MLA’s house were also interrogated.

Doctor had committed suicide on 18 April, blamed AAP MLA

The deceased doctor, identified as Dr. Rajendra Singh, was a resident of the Deoli neighbourhood in South Delhi and had committed suicide on the 18th of April. In his suicide note, he accused Prakash Jarwal and his associate Kapil Nagar of harassment and blamed them for his decision to take the drastic step. Consequently, the Police had registered an abetment of suicide case against the AAP MLA and his associate and others in the matter.

The police had stated, “On reaching the spot it was found that Rajendra Singh had committed suicide by hanging on the rooftop of his house. In a suicide note found at the spot, the doctor alleged harassment and extortion by the MLA. The note has been sent to the forensic lab for investigation.”

Already convicted in two cases

In October 2018, Prakash Jarval was convicted for assaulting a woman and her family in Delhi. AAP MLA had allegedly forcefully entered victim’s house along with his other supporters and assaulted the woman along with her husband with an intent to outrage her modesty.

After that he was also convicted in a 2013 rioting case in February 2019. He was held guilty of assaulting cops and damaging public property by a Delhi court.

Congress picks Coronavirus data of four random countries to prove that India has the highest number of cases, fails in that too

OpIndia Staff
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Congress picks Coronavirus data of four random countries to prove that India has the highest number of cases, fails in that too

Even as the entire world continues its focus on combating the deadly Coronavirus which is devastating countries after countries across the globe, India’s major opposition party Congress party’s single point agenda even in this time of a grave pandemic is to belittle the central government led by Narendra Modi. In such an attempt, the Congress party posted a chart to claim that India has the highest number of Coronavirus cases in the world. But in doing so, the party exposed itself as even the wrong chart does not show what they were trying to prove.

The Congress posted a tweet from its official handle saying that PM Modi was not wrong when he said he would make India a world leader, only he didn’t specify in which category, and now the PM has made India leader in number of coronavirus cases. They attached a chart with the tweet, showing Coronavirus numbers or five countries including India. It shows that India has much greater number of Coronavirus cases at 46,433, compared to the numbers of Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.

Needless to say, it is laughable to claim that India is the world leader in number coronavirus cases based on comparison with just four other counrties, because the deadly virus that originated in China is not limited to these five countries alone. The COVID-19 has spread all across the globe, and there are several countries having more coronavirus patients than India. As per the latest data on worldometers.info website, The United States have 13,24,374 cases the highest in the world, while India’s number as on today is 59,881. Which means India’s total number is less than 5% of the US numbers, which is far from being world leader. In terms of the number of total cases, there are 13 countries above India.

Although being in 14th place in a list of almost 200 countries is still seems very serious, actually India’s current situation is better than that. It is because, rather than the total numbers, what matters is the proportion of the population which is infected. India has the second-largest population in the world, and hence, the number of Coronavirus cases per million population is actually one of the lowest among major countries. And even when compared with the four countries ‘selected’ by the Congress party, India’s position is better than all the other four.

If we calculate the per million coronavirus cases of the five countries mentioned by the Congress party using population data mentioned on US govt’s census website, we find that even among these selected five countries, India comes last, not first, owing to the large population of the country.

CountryCoronavirus cases as per Congress TweetPopulation in millionCoronavirus cases per million
India46433132635.02
Pakistan24073233.5103.1
Indonesia1207126745.21
Singapore80146.21292.58
Japan6748125.553.77

Comparing absolute numbers of various countries give a wrong impression, as we can see here. As of today, Singapore has 22,460 Coronavirus cases, which seems better than India. But actually, the city-state’s population is just around 60 lakh, which is less than the major metropolitan cities in India. Therefore, it is wrong to compare the absolute numbers, and the per capita numbers give the true picture of extent of the pandemic.

Coronavirus cases per million population of the 5 countries compared by Congress party

Therefore, while trying to attack the Modi government, the Congress party actually scored a self-goal in this case. First they excluded major Coronavirus affected countries like USA, China, Italy, UK etc and selectively picked only four countries to compare with India, and then they made a wrong comparison with absolute numbers, instead of using per capita numbers which is the accepted standard practice of comparing data among various countries.

Chennai: Ayurvedic Pharmacist dies after consuming the ‘cure’ he developed to battle Coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Chennai: Ayurvedic Pharmacist dies after consuming the ‘cure’ he developed to battle Coronavirus

A 47-year-old general manager and pharmacist of an Ayurvedic product company died in Chennai after consuming a drug he developed as a cure for coronavirus. According to the reports, the 47-year-old identified as K Sivanesan was a qualified ophthalmologist and worked with Sujatha Biotech, an Ayurvedic and herbal products company for 27 years.

Reportedly, Sivanesan had devised formulas of various products and used to visit his managing director Dr Rajkumar frequently in the city.

Cure for coronavirus to make huge profits

On Thursday, Sivanesan and Dr Raj Kumar, the company’s owner, decided to meet as they had a plan to make a medicine for coronavirus with Nitric Oxide and Sodium Nitrate. They mooted the plan hoping that the company will benefit in a large way if they succeed, said an officer probing the case.

During the experiment, Sivanesan and Kumar consumed Sodium Hydrate, used in the manufacture of chemicals and soaps, and in petroleum refining. The duo hoped that the company would make huge profits if they succeeded. 

The officer said that the duo seemed to have had a belief that the mixture may be used for coronavirus treatment and to improve platelet count in the body.

Reportedly, Both the employee and the owner consumed the mixture and developed health problems. Soon, Sivanesan was rushed to a private hospital in T Nagar but he was declared dead on arrival. His body was later sent for post-mortem.

The 67-year old owner’s condition is stable now. Meanwhile, the police said they have sent items seized from a temporary laboratory set up at the residence for tests.

Bangladeshi NGO ‘Bidyanondo’ hounded by Islamic fundamentalists for its Hindu name and Hindu founder: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladeshi NGO ‘Bidyanondo’ hounded by Islamic fundamentalists for its Hindu name and Hindu founder: Here are the details

Irrespective of doing incredible work for the underprivileged and marginalised especially at the time of a crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic, Bangladeshi NGO named Bidyanondo Foundation has now come under the attack of Islamist fundamentalist on social media. They are being targeted for its Hindu name and Hindu owner.

The attacks and propaganda against Kishore Kumar Das, founder of Bidyanondo Foundation, became so intense that he was forced to think of stepping down as the chairperson of the foundation. The announcement had come on May 5 through the official, verified Facebook page of the foundation.

Resignation posted by Kishor Kumar Das on the NGO’s verified Facebook page on May 5

The executive committee of Bidyanondo had, however, not accepted Kishor’s resignation which forced Kishor to take back the decision.

When Dhaka Tribune got in touch with the NGO’s chairperson he said: “I decided to resign following personal attacks against me on social media, due to my religious affiliations. But later I realized that it would negatively impact the foundation’s campaign and activities.”

For the last two years, activists of the foundation have been subjected to constant attacks on social media for its name and the founder’s religious affiliations, insiders were quoted as saying by the Bangladesh daily, Dhaka Tribune.

HinduPost reported, “Bidyanondo has been widely praised in Bangladesh for their work for the betterment of underprivileged children, fighting against hunger and social taboos. It has been feeding the underserved through a project titled “Ek takay ahar” (Food at Tk 1). Kishore dreams of a world where no child would suffer and no one would go to sleep with an empty stomach. After the coronavirus situation started unfolding, the foundation became even more active and started supplying food for the needy, spraying disinfectant in public vehicles and other areas of Dhaka, feeding street dogs and carrying out a multitude of activities that earned them praise from all quarters of society”.

According to reports, Kishor Kumar Das faced the ire of Islamists because of the  “non-Muslim” sounding name of the foundation.

Few of the allegations levelled at the NGO and the chairperson were:

  • The NGO’s cheap meals were laced with sedatives to put children to sleep and traffic them. Of course, this allegation did not stick as it was completely baseless.
  • Last year, it was alleged that the iftar arranged by the NGO was adulterated with cow urine/dung to convert “gullible” Muslims into Hindus. 
  • It was alleged on social media that Bidyanondo is a Hindu missionary (ISKCON) organization funded by India.
  • It has been alleged that Bidyanondo collects funds in the name of charity and smuggles it into India.

According to Hindupost, an article titled ‘Bidyanondo should not have to defend itself’ written by a Bangladeshi Muslim, Tanim Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Omnispace, lists out these ridiculous allegations hurled at Bidyanondo and its founder.

The writer had observed:

“There are strings of comments and remarks on social media questioning the authenticity and true intention of a Hindu organization being charitable, solely because it has a Bengali name and a founder who is said to be a Hindu…points to the growing religious intolerance among Bangladeshis. It is becoming obvious that Bangladesh is increasingly becoming a country of “Muslims” only, where people of other faiths will become second-class citizens while others like atheists and maybe even Ahmadiyyas will be hounded down”.

Bangladeshi NGO Bidyanondo Foundation

The Bidyanondo foundation was founded in the year 2013 by Kishor Kumar Das. The NGO has been widely praised in Bangladesh for their relentless work for the betterment of the underprivileged children, fighting against hunger and social taboos. It has been feeding the marginalised through a project named: “Ek takay ahar”.

After the coronavirus situation started unfolding, the foundation became even more active and started supplying food to the needy, spraying disinfectant in various areas in Dhaka, feeding stray dogs and carrying out a horde of activities that has earned the NGO praises from all quarters of the society.

Tamil Nadu Government moves Supreme Court against Madras HC’s order to close liquor outlets in the State

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu Government moves Supreme Court against Madras HC’s order to close liquor outlets in the State

On Saturday, the Tamil Nadu Government has reportedly moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court’s interim decision to ban all liquor stores in light of the massive crowds and lack of social distancing in public spaces.

Petition by Tamil Nadu Government

The plea was filed by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), a government-run firm that sells liquor in the State. The petition to the Supreme Court is premised on the fact that the State will suffer “grave losses” in terms of “revenue and commercial activity.” The petition argued that the decision to run a major commercial activity, through the sale of liquor, is the prerogative of the Government and not the Judiciary.

The State further stated that the ban on the local sale of liquor who make people flee to neighbouring states to procure it. Buyers living close by the borders have also travelled to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka where the liquor sale began one day before.

On Friday the Madras High Court had ordered the closure of liquor shops saying that there were huge crowds in front of the outlets and no social distancing was maintained. The court had only allowed doorstep delivery of booze through online mode.

Interim Order of the Madras High Court

Earlier the Madras High Court had allowed the sale of liquor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, but the court had imposed several restrictions. The court had said that an individual could only purchase alcohol twice a week with a minimum gap of three days in between. Furthermore, those paying online could purchase two bottles of 750 ml alcohol at a time while those paying through cash could purchase only one.

The High Court had also ordered that the name, address and Aadhar Card number of the buyer be recorded in the bill, essentially making Aadhar mandatory to buy liquor in the state. The High Court order came after a petition was filed by advocate G Rajesh and a complaint by Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), a party run by Kamal Haasan.

The High Court which on Wednesday allowed the sale of liquor in the State in accordance with the government order on May 5 observed on Friday, the blatant violation of lockdown and TASMAC norms.

Coronavirus Scare in Tamil Nadu

Sale of alcohol through state-run vendors began in Tamil Nadu on Thursday after a gap of 43 days, owing to the Coronavirus lockdown. Since buyers flouted social distancing guidelines, the Tamil Nadu government received backlash for its decision. It had also raised concerns about the potential spread of the deadly pathogen in the State that has reported more 6000 cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus.

Liquor Shops shut in East Delhi

On May 4, the Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police (Eastern Range) announced that all liquor shops that were operational for a few hours in East Delhi had to be shut down, owing to the violation of social distancing guidelines by people.

The cops had to resort to lathi-charge to tame unruly mobs in Laxmi Nagar, and Kashmere Gate areas area after people flouted social distancing rules since the sale of alcohol began at 10 am. Liquor shops had to be forced shut-in places such as Mayur Vihar and Krishna Nagar. Burari and Malviya Nagar also saw a footfall of massive crowds.

14-year-old Christian girl abducted, converted to Islam and married off to her abductor in Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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14-year-old Christian girl abducted, converted to Islam and married off to her abductor in Pakistan

A 14-year-old Christian girl, Myra Shehbaz, was abducted in Faislabad in Pakistan by Muhammad Naqash and his accomplice while she was travelling to her workplace in April 2020, reported Forbes.

Eye witness accounts by Pervez Masih, Younas Masih, and Naeem Masih state that Myra was forcibly abducted in a car while she resisted. The men were armed and as such the eyewitnesses could not help the victim. The accused also fired shots in the air. Speaking to International Christian Concern, her mother, Nighat, expressed fears of rape, forceful conversion to Islam, and even murder. She was indeed married off to her abductor and forcibly converted.

While Myra’s marriage certificate stated her age as 18, it contradicted her National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) certificate. As a part of the modus operandi, a typed statement that she had left her home willingly was also produced. The case is yet to be taken to the Court.

Persecution of religious Minorities

Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP) has estimated that about 1000 Christian and Hindu women between 12 and 25 years are abducted, raped, married, and forced to convert to Islam. Due to limited financial means of the families of such victims, many cases go unreported.

On October 10 last year, another 14-year-old Huma Younus was abducted from her parents’ home in Karachi by a Muslim man named Abdul Jabbar, a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab. Farzana (14), and Sehrish (16) were gang-raped by 3 Muslim men but the families were forced to settle the matter outside the Court. In the case of Sana John (13) and Mehwish (14) who were abducted by Muslims, the police conducted a botched investigation and no attempts were made to rescue them. A 11-year-old Christian girl named Maria Sarfraz was also gang-raped for 3 days but was forced to settle the matter outside.

Justice Denied

Justice is rare in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In most cases, such abducted women never get to reunite with their families. In the case of Huma Yunus, a Pakistan Court upheld her marriage and forced conversion to Islam, despite her being underage. The case will now proceed to the Supreme Court.

Lack of proper investigation, prosecution of the accused, and denial of the right to the reunification of such abducted victims with their guardians make the victims an easy and vulnerable prey to the Islamic predators. It must be reiterated that every child deserves a normal childhood.

However, in an unprecedented judgment by the Lahore High Court, it was ruled that a 14-year-old Pumy Muskan who was forcibly converted to Islam lacked legal capacity to change her religion. The petitioner aka her mother Nasira, however, received some success in the case. “The Petitioner being the lawful guardian of Pumy Muskan is entitled to her custody. There is no reason to deprive her of that right”, the Court directed.

Minorities denied ration in Pakistan

Earlier, the Sindh Government had issued orders to local NGOs to distribute ration to poor daily-wage workers and labourers. However, the Hindus and Christians were singled out and denied their fair share of the ration by a Karachi-based NGO, Saylani Welfare Trust.

The Pakistani Hindus and Christians, most of who are daily wage workers, had gathered at Rehri Goth in Karachi to receive essential supplies. They were informed that the ration was meant only for Muslims and the minority were asked to go back. Moreover, no screening was done for the 3000 odd people who had gathered to receive ration. Similar treatment has been meted out to Hindus in Liyari, Sachal Ghoth, and other parts of Sindh.

Amidst cries of privacy concerns, Singaporean ethical hacker Frank Liauw gives thumbs-up to security features of Aarogya Setu app

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst cries of privacy concerns, Singaporean ethical hacker Frank Liauw gives thumbs-up to security features of Aarogya Setu app

As the Indian government aggressively pushed for widespread adoption of its contact-tracing app, Aarogya Setu, many privacy-focused groups, including the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), raised questions over the privacy concerns of the app. Putting an end to the ongoing rumours, the Singaporean ethical hacker Frank Liauw validated the security features of the Aarogya Setu app.

After running a security review of Singapore Government’s contact tracing app- TraceTogether which became widely popular among the global community for clearing the doubts regarding the privacy issues with the app, Liauw, on the request of one Indian user decided to perform an identical investigation on the Indian government’s Aarogya Setu app.

At the outset, Liauw claimed that the Indian app’s approach in contact tracing the COVID-19 patients was radically different than the approach espoused by Singapore’s TraceTogether. Aarogya Setu’s approach, he said, “Anonymised, aggregated datasets for the purpose of generating reports, heat maps, and other statistical visualisations for the purpose of the management of COVID-19 in the country.”

Shedding some light on the inner workings of the Aarogya Setu app, Liauw categorised his security review broadly in 5 categories to better understand the functioning of the app.

Cloud

Aarogya Setu app uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its backend. This enables the app to quickly scale up in the cloud to support millions of Indian users. Data centres are located in Mumbai, the Singaporean ethical hacker concludes.

Data Records and SQLite Storage

Aarogya Setu uses SQLite for on-device record storage. According to Liauw, the most significant feature of Aarogya Setu app which distinguishes it from Singapore’s Trace Together is the method collection of the user’s latitude and longitude information about the neighbouring devices detected. The Aarogya Setu app stores literal Bluetooth mac addresses of the neighbouring devices and does not collect the information regarding the type of the neighbouring devices.

Data Retention Policy

The review states that there is no policy in Aarogya Setu app, either in code or write, to destroy records from the SQLite database from the app user’s mobile after a pre-planned time interval. However, Liauw attributes this lapse to the lack of time for the development team to build and test the app, hoping that the fix will be pushed in the subsequent updates. However, he also added that it’s not a major issue if the records are stored indefinitely, considering that countries might be in for the long-haul should the pandemic prolongs.

Runtime Security

Liauw claimed that his assessment revealed that there is reasonable evidence of runtime security implementations to stop fiddling around with the operating system on rooted device and SSL(certificate?) pining to protect against the MITM(man in the middle) attacks.

Application Layer Encryption

Liauw was surprised to find the existence of an additional layer of encryption in the Indian Government’s Aarogya Setu app. He asserted that on top of TLS (Transport Layer Security) that’s free from the use of HTTPS (Secure HTTP), the Aarogya Setu app encrypted the latitude and longitude information in the application using AES-GCM or RSA (depending on Android version) before transmitting it over the network.

Aarogya Setu app reassures privacy after allegations of security concerns

Several groups, including French ethical hacker Elliot Alderson, raised flags about the security concerns of the app, claiming that the privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake, owing to a “security issue” in the Aarogya Setu app. He informed that he was contacted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the IT Ministry regarding the issue. In his Twitter thread, Anderson further cautioned that he would wait for a limited time before disclosing the matter to the general public.

However, a day after allegations of security issues surfaced, the official Twitter handle of Aarogya Setu replied to charges of privacy concerns on Twitter. It clarified that the app fetches the location of a user, as mentioned in its privacy policy, only during registration, self-assessment, and voluntary contact tracing. The app further reiterated that the data of a user’s location is stored in a secure, encrypted manner.

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