Panaji, Goa:
The Goa police have asked Tehelka for the complaint of a journalist that she was sexually assaulted by her boss, the newsmagazine's founder Tarun Tejpal.
The police have emailed Tehelka's managing editor Shoma Chaudhury, say sources.
The state government has ordered an inquiry into the woman's allegations that Mr Tejpal sexually assaulted her at a hotel where the Tehelka team was staying for an event the magazine organised earlier this month.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told NDTV, "We have ordered a preliminary inquiry, it doesn't require any complaint. If the allegations are found to be true, the police will register a case. From what I see, the crime has taken place."
On Wednesday, Mr Tejpal emailed his office that he was stepping down for 6 months as 'atonement', but activists say it is grossly inadequate. (
Read Tarun Tejpal's entire letter)
The Goa police have ordered the hotel to preserve footage of the time from CCTV cameras installed in the hotel. Sources say the police are also going through the emails exchanged between Mr Tejpal, the woman and Shoma Chaudhury.
A top police officer has said the allegations in the woman's mails are serious enough to file a case.
Activists
have slammed Mr Tejpal's move to "recuse himself" for six months. "I must do penance that lacerates me," the editor had said.
A person close to the journalist has alleged that the woman was subjected to "an act of grave sexual misconduct" and said she was "completely shattered and emotionally scarred."
"The act happened continuously over a period of time...and despite the girl pleading that she is almost the age of his daughter...She pleaded 'please don't do this'...her 'no' was not accepted...it happened once and it happened the next day," the journalist's confidante told NDTV.