Channels told to refrain from covering funeral of gangrape victim

New Delhi: The Broadcast Editors’ Association has asked news channels to refrain from covering the Delhi gangrape victim’s funeral, so that the privacy of the bereaved family is respected in their moment of grief. The Association, which has ABP news editor Shazi Zaman as its chairman and editors of several prominent national TV news channels as its members, has issued detailed guidelines to ensure that the privacy of the victim’s family is respected. In its guidelines, the Editors’ body has asked news channels not to show any visuals of the funeral or even shots of the deceased’s home or family. Channels have been asked to not air interviews with any relative. [caption id=“attachment_572578” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The body of the girl is to be brought back to India today. AP[/caption]The BEA has said information about arrival of body and funeral can be provided, but the location of the funeral should not be made public. It also asked channels not to show shots of arrival of the body and not to chase the funeral van. When reached for his comment, BEA General Secretary NK Singh confirmed that news channels had been advised not to cover the funeral. “In view of the need to protect the identity, dignity and privacy of the deceased and her family, the BEA has asked the channels not to cover the funeral and not to show any visuals of the funeral,” Singh said. The girl, who was gang-raped by six men in a moving bus in south Delhi on 16 December, breathed her last in a Singapore hospital early this morning. PTI