The CEO of Baazee.com, Avnish Bajaj, was arrested by the Delhi Police under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act of 2000. The charge was for "knowingly publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form." This arrest sparked a heated debate regarding the responsibility of online platforms for user-generated content, according to LA Times reporting.
The issue exploded into public view on , when a Delhi-based tabloid, Today , published a front-page story highlighting the online auction. The Delhi Police Crime Branch immediately registered a First Information Report (FIR) and launched an investigation into the distribution network. Legal Turmoil and Corporate Accountability
This study synthesizes:
The male and female students, along with eight other students who were implicated, were suspended from Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram. Dps Rk Puram Mms Scandal 2004
: The scandal led to an almost immediate ban on mobile phones in school and college campuses across India to prevent similar abuses of technology.
The affair finally came to public light on December 9, 2004, when the Delhi-based tabloid Today published an exclusive story with the headline "DPS sex video at baazee.com". The article immediately drew the attention of the Delhi Police Commissioner, who ordered the crime branch to register a case and investigate.
The grainy, pixelated footage spread aggressively from one handset to another across schools in New Delhi. Within weeks, the digital file leaked into the physical underground economy. Bootleg compact discs (CDs) containing the clip quickly flooded grey markets like Delhi’s infamous , retailing anywhere from ₹40 to ₹125. The CEO of Baazee
The incident inspired several Hindi films that explored the themes of MMS scandals, privacy, and the internet, most notably: Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) , directed by Dibakar Banerjee. Dev.D (2009) , which used the scandal as a reference point. I Don't Luv U (2013) . Conclusion
: The video was listed for auction on Baazee.com (then India's largest auction site, owned by eBay) under the title "DPS girls having fun". It reportedly sold for around $3 per copy. The Fallout
The most controversial arrest was that of , the CEO of Baazee.com. On December 17, 2004, Bajaj was arrested under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code for allowing the clip to be listed for sale. The case became a landmark issue for cyber law. This would lead to the Delhi High Court granting Bajaj bail on December 21, 2004, with the judge noting that Baazee had acted within 38 hours of learning of the illegal listing, and that the clip could not be viewed directly on the portal. The court also noted that “the heinous nature of the alleged crime may be attributable to some other person”. The controversy would lead to the Supreme Court of India eventually staying the proceedings against Bajaj in 2008. The Delhi Police Crime Branch immediately registered a
Under the username "alice-elec," Raj listed the video for sale for just under $3 (around ₹125 at the time) under the title: "Item 27877408 – DPS Girls having fun!!! full video + Baazee points." Although Baazee.com employed basic filters to screen for explicit keywords, the listing bypassed the platform's safety checks and went live on the evening of November 27, 2004. The Legal Fallout and Avnish Bajaj vs. State
Baazee.com Listing Path (November 27, 2004) └── Category: Books and Magazines └── Sub-Category: e-books └── Title: "Item 27877408 – DPS Girls having fun!!!"
The stands as a pivotal watershed moment in the history of the Indian internet, digital privacy, and teenage cyberculture. Long before the advent of smartphones, high-speed 4G networks, and modern social media, a grainy, 2-minute-and-37-second video clip shattered the collective innocence of a nation. It triggered intense national debates regarding the vulnerability of minors in the digital space, the legal liability of e-commerce platforms, and the extreme social double standards faced by women. The Genesis of the Video