New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on Wednesday briefed Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the steps police has taken over the controversial interview of December 16 gang-rape convict lodged in Tihar Jail and later said those involved in the matter will be questioned soon.
Bassi told reporters after the meeting that they were focusing on the "criminality of the case and violation of law" and arrests will be made based on findings of the probe.
"During the meeting with the Home Minister, various matters were discussed along with the controversial issue. I have briefed the minister in detail," he said.
The Delhi Police had yesterday registered an FIR and secured a court order restraining the media from airing the interview which has triggered a storm and wherein the convict, Mukesh Singh, shows no remorse over the crime which shocked the nation.
"And today we took a regular order from a competent court and informed BBC and other channels against broadcasting and uploading of the video of the interview on Internet and so that nobody violates the law," he said.
In the interview conducted by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin and BBC, Mukesh, the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gang-raped by six men on December 16, 2012, has made derogatory statements against women, police said.
"Reading of media reports in this matter suggest content of the video violates law. So, we started investigation and will examine necessary witnesses. Our attempt is nobody circulates this video as it violates law," Bassi added.
Sources said that police has also written to video sharing websites like YouTube and others to ensure that the documentary is not available on them while similar efforts will be made to block the text of the interview from appearing on Internet as well.
The police chief, however, refused to comment over the alleged use of the video for commercial gains.
"As far as this particular part is concerned, appropriate department will take action. We are concerned with criminality of the case and violation of law. The issue of violation of terms and conditions of commercial clause will be looked into by ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Tihar jail," Bassi said.
"What we can assure you is that we will investigate the case on merit to ensure anybody who has transgressed the penal laws is brought to book," he added.
Bassi though declined to comment over the impact the video would have caused if the interview is broadcast.
"I would not like to get into any speculative discussion. As far as I am concerned, my charter is very clear. If anyone transgresses IPC laws, I have to take action. If any matter falls in the domain of cognizable offence, I have to register an FIR. I have already registered an FIR."
Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, who reportedly also attended the meeting, refused to make a comment in this connection. Speaking to reporters earlier during the day, Bassi had said that it will probe as to why the contents of the work were not shown to the relevant authorities.
"Why the permission was given doesn't fall under the ambit of our investigation, what does is the content of the interview, which was not shown to the authorities concerned."
"Prima facie, there is no criminality in giving permission for an interview," he said, adding that the documentary filmmaker was allowed to hold the interview under certain conditions, one of which was that it should contain nothing against the law.
