India

Activist Who Screened Documentary India’s Daughter, Arrested

Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

delhi-gangrape_650x400_81425682045

New Delhi:  Activist Ketan Dixit, who held screenings of the banned documentary India’s Daughter in Agra and Delhi, has been arrested by the Delhi Police. He was later produced at a local court and was granted bail.

The documentary by film-maker Leslee Udwin, based on the December 2012 bus gang-rape in Delhi, was screened in the village Awalkheda near Agra on March 8. Around 50 people – mostly women and children – attended the screening. But it had to be stopped midway after other villagers objected.

After the telecast, the Uttar Pradesh police called Mr Dixit for questioning. His laptop, pendrive and projector were seized, but he was let off after five hours. The police said it sought legal opinion from Lucknow on its options.

Five days later, the film was screened at Delhi’s Ravidas camp, where three of the five men convicted in the case lived, on March 13.  An FIR was registered in the case immediately.

Mr Dixit had said he screened the film to protest against the ban. “The Centre has banned the documentary, but there is nothing in it which requires a ban,” he had said.

The documentary, which was telecast by the British Broadcasting Corporation or BBC, was banned by the government after its contents – including an interview of the one of the rapists who showed no remorse, triggered outrage.

The government had served a legal notice to BBC, which telecast the documentary in the UK and other countries on March 4. The legal notice accuses the channel of violation of contract – including using the interview for commercial purposes — showing content that violates the dignity of women and airing it with without proper approvals.

A blanket ban was placed on the documentary in India, and home minister Rajnath Singh said he asked Information and Technology minister Ravishankar Prasad to ensure it was not available for viewing anywhere in India.

Write A Comment