Ban on interview of December 16 gang-rape convict to continue: Delhi court

New Delhi: The order restraining airing or broadcasting the interview of a December 16 gang-rape convict, which was conducted inside the Tihar jail, will continue till further orders, a Delhi court said on Wednesday.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal said this after the Delhi Police placed on record the order passed by a metropolitan magistrate yesterday which had restrained media from publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or uploading the interview on the Internet.

"Investigating officer (IO) of the case has moved an application for intimation submitting that on March 3, 2015, an application for preventing the media/Internet from publishing/transmitting/telecasting/uploading the interview of one of the convicts of the Nirbhaya gang-rape case was made before the duty metropolitan magistrate who has already been pleased to pass a restrain order till further orders," the court noted in its order.

"Order dated March 3, 2015 of the duty metropolitan magistrate Puneet Pahwa perused. Be kept on record," it said.

The police, in its application filed before the court yesterday, had said that Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gang-raped by six persons on December 16, 2012, has made insulting, malicious and derogatory statements about women.

They said if the interview is telecast, it might lead to widespread public outcry and serious law and order problem as had happened in the aftermath of the gang-rape case.

During the hearing today, the court said that the police can take action, if required, in case anyone airs, publishes 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.

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. Police said it is probing the matter.