US support India's efforts to address gender-based violence

WASHINGTON: The US today said it supports Indian efforts to address "gender-based violence" in the aftermath of the horrific rape and murder of Nirbhaya, but refused to comment on the latest controversy surrounding the BBC's documentary on the issue.

"We have not seen the documentary in question and cannot comment on it," a Senior US State Department official told PTI.

"We support India as it continues efforts to address gender-based violence and advance women's rights, building on the unprecedented activism from Indian citizens and civil society in the aftermath of the horrific rape and murder of Nirbhaya," the official said.

The comments came after an interview with one of the four men facing the death penalty over the 2012 brutal rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student garnered a worldwide uproar following its "sensitive contents".

The documentary included an interview of Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the student was brutally gangraped by six men on December 16, 2012. Mukesh has made derogatory statements against women, Delhi police has said.

India banned the broadcast of the documentary but BBC ignored government's advice and broadcast the controversial interview of Delhi gangrape convict even as it asked video sharing website YouTube to remove the documentary as it is "very sensitive".