NEW DELHI: After the blame game, an open war has broken out between chief minister Sheila Dikshit , who complained of "interference" by police officers in the recording of gang rape victim's statement, and Delhi Police which on Tuesday demanded a probe into the "leakage" of her letter to the home minister.

Dikshit, who has been making a strong pitch of bringing the city police under Delhi government from home ministry's control, shot off a letter to home minister Sushilkumar Shinde seeking a high-level inquiry into the complaint of sub divisional magistrate.

In the complaint, sources said, SDM Usha Chaturvedi claimed that three senior police officers had prevented the video recording of the victim's statement. It was also alleged that the police officers wanted the SDM to use a questionnaire they prepared.

When she refused to do so, sources said, police officials misbehaved with the SDM.

Delhi Police came out with a strong denial and also demanded a high-level probe into the "leakage" of Dikshit's letter to home minister. "We deny the allegations levelled by SDM Usha Chaturvedi.

"Delhi Police demands a high-level inquiry into the leakage of a top-secret letter written by the chief minister to media," Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.

Ever since the public outrage over the December 16 gang-rape of the 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in south Delhi, the chief minister has made it clear that she cannot be held responsible for actions of police which is not under her government's control.

Police has made known its unhappiness over Dikshit passing on the buck and raking up a "non-issue" at this juncture by writing to Shinde.