protests at Chandigarh University outpoured after MMS of 60 girls bathing was shared
New Delhi: The Chandigarh University MMS controversy that has rocked the country is but a grim reminder of what started way back in 2004 with the infamous ‘DPS MMS’ scandal.
Those were the times when videos used to be pixelated and grainy, recorded and seen on extremely low resolution screens. The data transfer technology was slow and odious, and yet the MMS or multimedia messaging service clip of a Class XI couple heralded how phones began to be seen: necessary, but evil.
The clip showed two Class XI students of Delhi Public School, RK Puram branch, having oral sex on the school premises. The boy had shot the video with a mobile phone that had multimedia messaging service or MMS, the only technology back then to share multimedia or A/V content between mobile phones.
The video was 2 minutes and 37 seconds long.
The video was circulated widely and eventually uploaded on the internet, where it was copied and stored forever. No FIR was registered against anyone for making and sharing the clip.
However, on 9 December 2004, an article appeared in Delhi-based tabloid Today that sparked controversy after its writer Anupam Thapa published an exclusive story, which claimed that an online trading website named bazee.com was auctioning the video clip.
The article said, “India’s biggest online trading portal baazee.com had listed the said MMS clip under the title ‘DPS girls having fun’ with the member ID of 27877408.”
The police. after investigation, revealed that one Alice Electronics of Kharagpur, West Bengal, had sold eight copies of the said clip since 27, November, 2004.
Later, Delhi Police commissioner took cognisance of the news item and ordered the crime branch to register a case and investigate.
The case was registered at Hauz Khas Police Station.
Avnish Bajaj, the then CEO of the website Baazee.com was summoned by the Delhi High Court for having allowed this clip to be listed for auction under sections 67 and 85 of the I-T Act, 2000.
Bajaj, who had subsequently sold his company to eBay Pvt. Ltd., contended that mere listing could not be construed as crime under the Information Technology Act 2000.
The matter is still sub-judice.
Ever since MMS has become synonymous with porn. Even bollywood rode the crest of the controversy, having produced a spate of movies on or around the DPS MMS scandal. Some of these movies were Dev D, Love Sex aur Dhoka, Ragini MMS and I don’t Luv you. One crime series ‘Gumrah: End of Innocence’ also featured an episode on the issue.
(With inputs from agencies)
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