Tweet
I&B puts 2 channels on showcause for airing ‘Bhanwari CD’
Taking a strong note of two TV channels — P7 and Sahara Samay — broadcasting a CD which purportedly showed sacked Rajasthan Water Resource Minister Mahipal Maderna and kidnapped auxiliary nurse Bhanwari Devi in a compromising position, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued showcause notice to them.
Both the channels have been asked to appear before the Ministry on Monday and reply as why action should not be taken against them for broadcasting such sleaze CD, Ministry sources told The Pioneer.
The TV channels have been charged with violating Section 6 of The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and rules by “indecent portrayal of women”, offending good taste and decency by broadcasting the CD.
“The Ministry had prepared the showcause notice on Friday evening only against both the TV channels, but since their offices had been closed down the notice was delivered at their offices on Saturday morning,” sources said.
Indicating that stringent action could take against the offending channels, the sources said that the Ministry could even ask them to be taken off the air.
Though the Ministry is in favour of self regulation by TV channels, they could not be allowed to get away by broadcasting such sleaze material in the name of news, they said adding that so the Ministry decided to intervene in the matter.
Significantly, contrary to the rules while broadcasting the CD, the faces of the people shown in compromising position was not even matted properly thereby revealing the identities, sources pointed out. Under the existing guidelines identities of rape victims and other such incidents should not be revealed.
Also while P7 had claimed that they had broadcast the original CD, Sahara Samay reportedly did not even have such a CD in their possession and were showing parts of it in news format.
Maderna, who has been quizzed by the CBI recently in connection with Bhanwari Devi's disappearance, had accepted his relationship with the nurse. Bhanwari was reportedly blackmailing Maderna on the basis of the CD.
