The central government Thursday banned Fashion TV for nine days for showing topless women, which offended "good taste and decency".

The information and broadcasting ministry said it was prohibiting transmission of the FTV Channel from 7 p.m. on March 12 to the same time March 21 "through cable television networks and any other platforms throughout the country".

According to a statement, a programme on FTV channel telecast Sep 4, 2009, showed "women with nude upper body which was offending against good taste and decency."

"The visuals were found to be obscene, denigrating women and were not suitable for children and unrestricted public exhibition," the statement said.

The ministry said that the channel had violated the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

This is the not the first time that the government has taken such a decision against the channel.

The ministry had prohibited its transmission from April 1 to May 30, 2007 on grounds of "telecasting programmes such as 'Midnight Hot' wherein skimpily dressed and semi-naked models were shown".

The prohibition was revoked May 25, 2007 after FTV.com India channel regretted its error and assured that such a thing will not be repeated in future, the statement said.