September 21, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 08, 1428

NEW DELHI, Sept 20: The Indian government banned a TV news channel for a month on Thursday after it aired a misleading sting operation in which it accused a Delhi teacher of blackmailing her students into becoming prostitutes.

Live India showed hidden camera footage and an anonymous interview with a supposed victim last month, accusing the teacher of drugging her students and making pornographic images of them.

Police have since arrested Prakash Singh, the journalist behind the report, and the woman who posed as a victim in the video, who police said was an aspiring journalist. They have been charged with cheating, fabricating false evidence and conspiracy.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has now banned Live India for a month, saying it had slandered someone without checking facts and had incited violence. The channel’s editor previously told local media that Singh had deceived him.

The scandal may have given the ministry extra ammunition as it tries to pass a controversial new broadcasting bill, which would permit sting operations only in the public interest.

Critics say the bill is draconian and gives sweeping powers to the government to censor the media.—Reuters