The union home ministry on Wednesday constituted an internal inquiry into allegations of police interference in recording statement of the gang-rape victim by a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) at Safdarjung hospital.

"The home minister informed the cabinet on Wednesday that he has ordered an internal enquiry into what happened during the first recording of the statement," Finance minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

But Chidambaram also pointed out that the statement of the victim has been recorded again, indicating that the government has taken care to make it controversy-free.

The government's step came following complaints by the SDM Usha Chaturvedi, who had gone to record the statement at the hospital on December 21.

While Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar claimed that on earlier occasions too, they faced problem with the same SDM, Chaturvedi maintained that the police prodded her to take the statement according to a questionnaire prepared by them.

"The SDM was called by the Police. She wanted to know the background of the case, which we gave, but no questionnaire was given to her by us," Kumar said.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit termed the SDM's complaint as a serious issue and sought home ministry's intervention in the issue.

The Police reported that the victim's girl's mother had objected for video recording of the statement after which the statement was recorded without the presence of any camera.