Government serves legal notice to BBC over documentary

New Delhi: The government on Thursday served legal notice to the BBC over its broadcast of a controversial documentary on the December 16, 2012 gang rape, saying the broadcaster "violated the contract on various fronts".

"A legal notice has been served to the BBC. The notice says that they (BBC) had violated the contract on various fronts," a home ministry official told IANS.

"They were supposed to take final approval from the Tihar jail authorities on the interview of the convicts but they did not do so, and according to the contract signed with the BBC, they were barred to use the documentary for commercial purpose, which they have violated too," he said.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was "examining all aspects" related to the documentary and would take action, if required.

Before airing the film in Britain and some other countries, the BBC had assured the government that it would not be aired in India. They then went ahead and showed it, and the film was subsequently uploaded on YouTube.

"The BBC had planned to air the film on March 8, but they showed it on March 4, the home ministry said, wondering "what was the hurry?"

The documentary, by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, was based on the gang rape of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist, who was brutally assaulted on December 16, 2012 on a moving bus in Delhi.