The physical sharing of the clip quickly expanded into unprecedented digital distribution. A fourth-year Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur student, identified as Ravi Raj, acquired the video file. Operating under the digital pseudonym "Alice Electronics," Raj listed the file for public commercial download on —India's largest online auction platform at the time, which had recently been acquired by global giant eBay.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police registered an FIR at the Hauz Khas Police Station, treating the news report as the complaint.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch took immediate action, registering a First Information Report (FIR) and tracking down the digital trail. While the uploader absconded, the legal spotlight shifted toward the platform facilitating the sale.
The scandal reached a fever pitch when the video surfaced on Baazee.com Dps Rk Puram Mms Scandal 2004
In late 2004, a grainy, 2-minute and 37-second video clip began circulating via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and various pornographic websites. The video, shot on a Nokia 6600
The legal battle lasted for years, eventually reaching the Supreme Court of India. The apex court ultimately quashed the criminal proceedings against Bajaj, ruling that a company executive could not be held vicariously liable for corporate cybercrimes unless the law specifically provided for it at the time. Impact on Indian Cyber Laws
: In the landmark Avnish Bajaj vs. State case, the Delhi High Court held that because the platform's automated systems failed to feature filters to catch obvious filters or stop payment processing for the content, strict criminal liability could be imputed to the corporation. However, it clarified that corporate directors could not be held automatically vicariously liable under the IPC unless specific statutory provisions allowed it. The physical sharing of the clip quickly expanded
: Defense attorneys argued that Baazee.com acted purely as an automated intermediary. The listing was user-generated, and the platform deleted the post as soon as it was flagged as objectionable.
The scandal involved two Class XI students from the prestigious , a school typically attended by the children of India's elite.
This investigation eventually led to the most high-profile legal target of all: , the then-CEO of Baazee.com. The Delhi High Court summoned Bajaj, holding him accountable for allowing the video to be auctioned on his platform. The case of Avnish Bajaj vs. State (DPS MMS Scandal Case) became a landmark legal battle, raising fundamental questions about the liability of online intermediaries for user-generated content—questions that remain highly relevant today for platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and X . The Crime Branch of Delhi Police registered an
The legal focus quickly shifted from the initial uploader, who briefly absconded, to the corporate platform hosting the content. The Delhi Police arrested , an American citizen and the Chief Executive Officer of Baazee.com, along with content manager Sharat Digumarti. They were charged under Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the distribution of obscene material.
The situation escalated when the video moved beyond private phone-to-phone sharing and onto the internet. The Auction: In late November 2004, the clip was listed for sale on Baazee.com