A day after they served a legal notice on the BBC, accusing it of violating the conditions to make a documentary with a controversial interview of one of the convicts of the December 16 gang-rape incident, authorities at Tihar Jail here have summoned more people associated with it.
Sources said Director-General Alok Kumar Verma had summoned two officials associated with the BBC’s Delhi office.
Officials claimed that filmmaker Leslee Udwin had agreed to the condition that the documentary would not be used for commercial purpose. However, she sold the rights of the film to the BBC allegedly allowing it for commercial usage.
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Meanwhile, in the notice, the government told the BBC that it had “violated” the agreement of not using the documentary for commercial purpose and for this the British media giant was liable for legal action.
“No necessary approval was taken by the BBC for the commercial use of the documentary. We have served the notice and are waiting for its response. Further course of action is awaited,” a Home Ministry official said.
The notice was served on Wednesday evening, before the telecast of the film by the BBC in the U.K. at 10 p.m. (GMT) by Mr. Verma through the government standing counsel. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police, who have issued an FIR in the case, said they were readying for formalities associated with the examination of Ms. Udwin.
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A source said the police would write to Ms. Udwin “by Monday” to make herself available for examination by senior officials. The Delhi Police on Tuesday obtained from a city court a restraining order to restrict the airing of Ms. Udwin’s documentary India’s Daughter .
While the court issued directions that the interview should not be uploaded, transmitted, published through any web portal or print or any other media till further orders, the restraint order had been served on the BBC and NDTV. The CERT-In had been requested to ensure compliance.