Delhi Gangrape and interview of rapist: Setback for Rajnath Singh; Home Ministry in controversy now

New Delhi, March 3: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked Tihar jail Director General Alok Kumar Verma to conduct an inquiry and sought a detailed report on the controversial interview of one of the rapists of infamous Nirbhaya gangrape case in Delhi.

However, hours after his order, the home ministry might land in a serious trouble as reports stated that the British filmmaker had got permission from the Home Ministry itself in July 2013. [Rajnath takes strong exception to interview of Dec 16 convict]

While granting the permission, the Home Ministry put the conditions that the rapist has to give his consent for the interview and the Tihar jail authorities will watch the raw footage of the film and give its consent before its telecast.

According to sources, the filmmaker got the consent of the rapist -- Mukesh Singh. However, the Tihar jail officials apparently did not go through the raw footage of the documentary which is said to be 16-hour long. [Dec 16 Delhi Gangrape Case: Rapists justify themselves, now Nirbhaya's mother breaks silence]

Besides, there were correspondence between film-maker Leslee Udwin and the Home Ministry in Feb 2014 when it was informed that the documentary had been sold to BBC.

Udwin was said to have conveyed that the raw footage of the documentary was with her and anyone from the Tihar jail or Home Ministry could watch it.

However, sources said, there was no initiative on the part of either the Home Ministry or the Tihar jail to watch the documentary.

Delhi High Court lawyer MS Khan said that the jail manual permits and regulates the meetings of prisoners with outsiders but it does not allow a personal video interview of an inmate.

"Personal interview of an inmate is in contravention of jail manual," he said.

In the interview, Mukesh said the women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters.

"A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy," he had said. Mukesh also said that had the girl and her friend not tried to fight back, the gang would not have inflicted the savage beating, which led to her death later. [Now Nirbhaya rapist has an advise for women! Don't protest when raped, you will live]

OneIndia News
(With agency inputs)