Journalist, who accused Tarun Tejpal of sexual assault, resigns

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Nov 25 2013: A week after accusing founder and former editor-in-chief of Tehelka news weekly Tarun Tejpal of sexually assaulting her in an email to the managing editor, the woman journalist on Monday resigned from the organization.

Sources in Tehelka have confirmed to The Indian Express that the victim sent her resignation at 2 pm today citing the sexual assault and the organization’s "complete failure" to stand by her.

 

 

In an email to Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury on November 18, the woman journalist had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her on two occasions in Goa earlier this month during the Think Fest.

Following the victim’s complaint, two of the victim’s colleagues and close friends had resigned last week and some columnists and consultants had also decided to end their association with the weekly.

Earlier in the day, Tejpal moved Delhi High Court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail in the Justice G S Sistani, before whom the petition was mentioned by senior advocates K T S Tulsi and Geeta Luthra, will hear the matter on Tuesday.

The Goa police had on November 22 lodged an FIR against Tejpal under sections 376 (rape), 376 (2)(k) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC in connection with the incident.

Tejpal had earlier alleged that the victim was lying. "It is a totally mendacious account of what happened, in its details, in its tonalities, in its very suggestion of non-consensus," Tejpal, who stepped down as editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine last week for six months over the alleged incident, said referring to the allegations by his colleague.