New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS): The home ministry Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the circumstances in which the statement of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim was recorded the first time Dec 21 after allegations of police interference in the process.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said at the cabinet meeting here Wednesday that he had ordered an inquiry.

To a question on alleged police interference during the gang-rape victim's statement to Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Usha Chaturvedi, Chidambaram said: "We don't know what the truth is. We have the word of the SDM as reported by the Delhi Chief Minister (Sheila Dikshit) and the word of the police commissioner."

Chaturvedi, the SDM of Vivek Vihar, has alleged that police tried to intimidate her and interfere with the process of recording the victim's statement. Following this, the Delhi chief minister asked the home ministry to conduct an inquiry into the allegations.

The finance minister added that the gang-rape victim's statement had been recorded a second time. "We are making sure that the recording is done strictly in accordance with the law".

On the condition of the victim, Chidambaram said: "Unfortunately it is not something we can be cheerful about. Her condition oscillates between getting slightly better and worse. She is on a ventilator and we are very sad. We hope she recovers."

On the possibility of treating the victim abroad, Chidambaram said he did not feel she was in "any condition to be moved by air". He added that the doctors would have to take a call on it.

The woman was brutally raped by six men in a moving bus Dec 16 in south Delhi. She is battling for her life in Safdarjung Hospital. All six accused have been arrested.