NEW DELHI: India TV news channel has been issued a warning by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for sensationalising a reportage in August last year relating to the death of two children at Sant Asaram Bapu’s ashram.

The warning was issued after the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to look into such complaints previewed the reportage consequent to the show-cause notice issued by the Ministry on 28 November last year.

The warning has been given under Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and under provisions of the Uplinking Guidelines.

The channel has been asked to ensure strict compliance to the Programme and Advertising Codes and told that "any further violation may entail stringent action including prohibition of broadcast."

The Committee pointed out that the channel had violated Rule 6(1)(a) and 6(5) of the Programme Code which provides that no programme can be transmitted/re-transmitted on any Cable Service which offends good taste and decency; and programmes unsuitable for children must not be carried in the cable service at times when the largest number of children are viewing.

The channel had telecast/re-telecast the reportage over one week from 1 August last under headlines like "Bapu ke Ashram mein kaise ghus aaya Dracula."

However, the warning is unlikely to evoke any reaction from India TV as the channel has "only been issued a warning without penalty of any kind."

Ministry sources said following coverage of different kinds in the Ashram issue, Asaram had filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a restraint of the reportage by ten different news channels.

Thereafter, the apex Court had asked the Ministry for its reaction. The present warning appears to be a follow-up of this directive. Sources indicated that similar notices may be issued to some other news channels.