Govt to bar broadcast of Delhi rape convict’s interview : The Tribune India

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Govt to bar broadcast of Delhi rape convict’s interview

NEW DELHI: The government today said it would not allow broadcast of a controversial documentary featuring a Nirbhaya gangrape convict as Members of Parliament, cutting across party lines, expressed outrage over the incident.

Govt to bar broadcast of Delhi rape convict’s interview

File photo of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.



New Delhi, March 4

The government today said it would not allow broadcast of a controversial documentary featuring a Nirbhaya gangrape convict as Members of Parliament, cutting across party lines, expressed outrage over the incident.

(See video: Nirbhaya's parents condemn convict's comments)

Maintaining that it would not allow the commercial use of such incidents, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “stunned” as to how permission was granted for the convict’s interview inside Tihar Jail here in the first place.

Making a statement in both Houses, Singh assured Parliament that the government would order a probe into it to fix responsibility for the shooting of this controversial documentary film of Nirbhya gang-rape convict.

He said he has asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to look for ways to ban its broadcast abroad and would review the existing provisions for allowing such shoots inside prisons to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

The Home Minister’s statement in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha came after Opposition protests in the Upper House, including a walkout by Samajwadi Party members, and vociferous protests in the Lower House with members demanding action over the December 16, 2012, gangrape convict being allowed to give an outrageous interview from inside the high- security prison here.

Singh informed both the Houses that the No Objection Certficiate to shoot the documentary was given by his Ministry in July 2013.

Subsequently the jail authorities gave the permission with any prior conditions like the film-makers would have to show the unedited version of the shoot or take prior approval for telecasting or publishing any part of the shoot.

Noting that the conditions were violated, he said, “under no circumstances, this documentary will be allowed to be broadcast ... the government has taken necessary action and secured an order restraining the telecast of the film.

“I was stunned and deeply hurt by this when I came to know about it yesterday. I spoke to the authorities and made sure that all steps are taken to stop the broadcast,” he said.

The govermenmt strongly condemns it and will “not allow any organisation to leverage such an incident for commercial use”.

Observing that not only Parliament but the entire nation was feeling ashamed over it, Singh said he has already spoken to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and told them to explore ways to ensure that the documentary was not broadcast even abroad.

Members of Samajwadi Party in the Rajya Sabha, including Jaya Bachchan who had earlier trooped into the Well with other women Opposition members, later staged a walkout.

Spelling out the conditions under which permission was granted to producers Leslee Udwin and Anjali Bhushan to shoot the documentary, the Home Minister said they could interview only those prisoners who had given written consent. They were also told to show complete footage to jail authorities so that there is no breach of prison security norms.

Observing that the producers were required to take approval from jail authorities before telecast, he said the authorities’ permission was also required for either publishing of a research paper or releasing the documentary film which should have been made for purely social purposes without any commercial interest.

However, they had not done so and the conditions under which they were permitted to shoot were violated, Singh said.

“Our Government condemns the incident of 16th December, 2012, in the strongest possible terms and will not allow any attempt by any individual, group or organization to leverage such unfortunate incidents for commercial benefit.

“The respect and dignity of women constitute a core value of our culture and tradition. Our Government remains fully committed to ensuring safety and dignity of women,” Singh said.

“Now, it has come to notice that on March 8, 2015, BBC Four is going to telecast this documentary film. The government has taken necessary legal action and obtained a restraining order from the court disseminating the contents of the film,” the Minister said.

“It came to the notice of the jail authorities that the permission conditions have been violated and hence a legal notice was issued to them on April 7, 2014, to return the unedited footage within 15 days and also not to show the film as it violates the permission conditions,” Singh said.

Subsequently, the documentary film was shown to the jail authorities where it was noticed that the documentary film depicted the convict’s comments “which are highly derogatory and are an affront to the dignity of women.” The Home Minister said it was also noticed that the film shown was the edited version and not the unedited one.

“Hence, they were requested to provide full copy of the unedited film shootout for further review by the authorities and asked not to release/screen the documentary till it is approved by the authorities,” he said.

The Home Minister was frequently interrupted in the Rajya Sabha by members who asked whether the government has taken action against the officers who allowed such an interview and why the gangrape convict was not yet hanged.

Singh said while it was for the court to decide on the punishment of the convicts, he promised look into the circumstances in which the interview was allowed.

In the Rajya Sabha, nominated MP Anu Aga said, “The reality is that what that man (convict) spoke reflects the view of many men in India. Why are we shying away from reality? Why are we not confronting the issue? We should confront the issue.

“It is not just the view of the man in the prison. Let us be aware of it. Let us not pretend that all is well.”

Noted lyricist and nominated member Javed Akhtar said he has heard this kind of views in this House. “It’s good that this documentary has been made. Crores of men in India have now come to know that they think like a rapist. If it is sounding dirty, they have to think,” he said.

CPI(M)’s T N Seema called for a change in the mindset as she rued that MPs and Ministers also come out with derogatory statements against women and their respective parties should take note of them and act.

She said that the issue was discussed only when some tragic incident happens and then it is forgotten and added that for last three years, Nirbhaya fund has remained unused.

BSP chief Mayawati said that a time-bound inquiry should be conducted, which should give its report in 10-15 days and the guilty officers, who granted permission for the interview, nailed. She also congratulated the Home Minister for taking swift steps to stop the broadcast of the interview.

Jaya Bachchan (SP) rued that even after three years since the Nirbhaya gangrape, women are yet to get justice and asked the Home Minister to spell out the measures taken for women safety.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated both the Home Ministry and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for their “speedy intervention” into the matter.

Taking note of the sense of the outrage in the House, she said it was an issue on which there is no division. While it true that many men think on the lines of what the convict said, there were also many men too who felt this should not have happened, she said.

“Speedy dispensation of justice is required in this matter,” she said agreeing with Jaya Bachchan’s concern about justice in the Nirbhaya case.

Ambika Soni (Congress) wanted to know how the interviewer got permission to talk to the convict inside jail.

Noting that she was told that permission was given as a study case to get inputs to deal with criminality against women and not to share the details in public arena, Soni wondered “why was it necessary to give permission to a foreign channel to do this study.”

As some members from the treasury benches tried to point out that the permission was given during UPA’s tenure, Soni asked them “not to politcise” the matter.

Her party colleague from Maharashtra Rajani Patil took umbrage to the role of media in saying they should not have published the content of the news.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, Ranjeet Ranjan (Cong) said the documentary tantamounted to “repeat of the rape” and the decision to show it on International Women’s day is like humiliating women.

The documentary, she said, is commercialisation of rape and should by no means be allowed to be telecast. “We must spare a thought for parents of the victim and the trauma they will suffer”, she said.

Expressing concern over the issue, P K Shrimathi Teacher (CPI-M) demanded ban on the documentary which she said was “very shocking and shameful” for the entire society.

Kirron Kher (BJP) said there was a need to change the male mindset in the country through education.

Her party colleague Minakshi Lekhi saw in it an attempt to tarnish the image of India globally and said already such attempts have affected tourism in the country.

Vinayak Raut(Shiv Sena) sought action against the concerned jail officials.

Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai, speaking as an AIADMK member, said it was the duty of Parliament to protect rights of women and wanted government to make a statement.

In response to A Sampath (CPI-M), Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu assured the House that he would ask the Law Minister to take up with the Bar Council of India the issue of “vulgar” talk by some lawyers in the documentary.

 

 

Meanwhile, a Delhi court today said that the order restraining airing or broadcasting the interview of a December 16 gangrape convict, which was conducted inside Tihar jail, will continue till further orders.

The matter was taken up by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal when the Delhi Police placed on record the restrain order passed by a magistrate yesterday.

The CMM, after going through the order, said that restrain on airing the interview will continue.

The court also said that the police can take action, if required, if anyone airs or broadcasts the interview.

The Delhi Police had yesterday registered an FIR in the matter and thereafter obtained an order from the court restraining the media from broadcasting, publishing or transmitting the interview.

The matter pertains to an interview conducted by a British filmmaker Leslee Udwin and BBC, in which Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gangraped by six men on December 16, 2012, made controversial remarks, triggering widespread outrage.

The FIR was registered by the Delhi Police under IPC sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 505(1)(b) (With intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 66A of the IT Act (Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service).

Udwin had claimed that she took permission from the then Director General of Tihar jail Vimla Mehra to interview Mukesh in prison for BBC.

The police said it is probing the matter. — PTI

 

 

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