Post date: Nov 23, 2013 9:14:47 AM
Managing Editor of investigative magazine 'Tehelka' says she is cooperating with the police in its investigation after the magazine's founder and editor- in- chief, Tarun Tejpal is accused of sexual assault by a young woman journalist.
NEW DELHI, INDIA (NOVEMBER 23, 2013) (ANI) - Managing Editor of investigative magazine 'Tehelka' said on Saturday (November 23) she was cooperating with the police in its investigation after the magazine's Founder-Editor Tarun Tejpal was accused of sexual assault by a young woman journalist.
The case came to light after the victim complained in an email to a superior that 50-year-old Tarun Tejpal, founder of the award-winning weekly, Tehelka, assaulted her twice in a hotel elevator during a conference in the resort state of Goa this month..While she has not formally complained against Tejpal, police said they decided to act on the basis of media reports of the leaked complaint, and that Tejpal could face charges of rape and outraging the modesty of a woman.
Women's groups and journalists are among those condemning Tejpal's alleged actions, and criticising the magazine's management for considering his offer to leave his position for six months to be sufficient reprisal.
Tehelka's Managing Editor ,Shoma Chaudhury, told reporters on Saturday that she is cooperating with the police in its investigation to the best of her ability and urged people not to trust the wrong information circulating in the media.
"Right now I am going to meet the police, and yesterday I have already sent the information the police needs and I have sent a mail earlier in the morning to them that I will be sending stuff. I was talking to the media yesterday, surely it's on public record, so I am just saying that there is a lot of wrong information floating around over there. Do listen to what I am saying and look at the factuality and chronology of what I am saying," said Chaudhury.
Meanwhile women's groups said it was not enough.
"Yesterday we gave a letter to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police inquiring about the investigation they have done after they have taken down an F.I.R and the footage from the Hotel. We asked them to give us a proper report on the investigation done so far," said Chairperson ofGoa State Commission for women, Vidhya Shet Tanawade.
Asiaweek listed Tejpal as one of Asia's 50 most powerful communicators in 2001, while the Guardian newspaper ranked him among the 20 who constitute India's new elite in 2007. Business Week rated him one of the 50 most powerful Indians.
In a statement released on Friday, Tejpal said he was ready to cooperate with the police on the case.
The incident has triggered a media debate about silence over the harassment of women at their places of work, underlining a heightened awareness about rising cases of sexual violence in Indiaafter the fatal gang rape of a woman in Delhi a year ago.
India's working women often face sexual harassment from colleagues, managers or employers, yet few report these cases, fearful of losing their jobs or facing persecution simply for speaking out, gender rights activists say.
The government passed a law in March to discourage exploitative behaviour such as sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and innuendo at work.
But activists say few outfits have set up the grievance panels stipulated by the law, which would give women a safe forum to report cases and bring offenders to book.