The Madras High Court in a recent order said that the "Grinder Gay App" (dating app for LGBTQ community) is illegal as it serves only a "prurient and sexual interest" of the parties. The Madras High Court also directed the Investigating Officer to report to the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, that the said App is used to commit offences / illegal purposes, so that the Ministry can consider appropriate action including blocking the App in accordance with law.
The high court while granting bail to an accused who had allegedly sexually abused and robbed a person he met on the dating app made these observations and asked the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology to consider appropriate action including blocking the Grinder App.
The court noted that after matching with the complainant on the Grinder App, the accused allegedly took the complainant to a secluded place and sexually abused him and also robbed him of his chain and credit card. The accused also allegedly withdrew a sum of Rs.1,15,000/- by using his credit card.
"The allegation in this case is that the defacto complainant and the accused are members of a particular app namely, Grinder Gay App. The very name of the app suggests that the purpose. It is illegal not for the question of being homosexual but for serving only a prurient and sexual interest of the parties," the August 13 order noted.
The high court granted bail to the accused on a bond for a sum of Rs.10,000/-with two sureties each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the Judicial Magistrate, Nanguneri.
"Considering the nature of allegations made against the petitioner and also considering the undertaking given by the learned counsel for the petitioner that he will come out of the app and will not be part of the any social media of any nature and he will voluntarily surrender his mobile phone and intimate the respondent police that if he buy any new mobile phone, this Court is inclined to grant bail to the petitioner on certain conditions," the high court order read.