New Delhi:
Shoma Chaudhury, the Managing Editor of Tehelka, today said that despite the criticism hurled at her, she does not believe she should have alerted the police to a complaint of sexual assault against the founder of the news magazine, Tarun Tejpal. He was charged with rape by the Goa police in an FIR filed today.
"I still believe it was not my place to go to the police," she told NDTV today, adding that her opinion had been corroborated by legal experts and women activists who she has consulted.
The Goa police has charged Mr Tejpal, 50, with rape in an FIR today. Earlier this week, he said he was stepping down as editor-in-chief for six months as "penance" for "a bad lapse of judgment."
Ms Chaudhury said that though Mr Tejpal "had a completely different version of the incident, but because I was driven by my allegiance to women's rights, I completely over rode his version and asked for an unconditional apology because I felt that regardless of the different version, he had transgressed as the leader of the institution."
(Readher statement)|
(Watch: "I see why Tarun's email to me sounds like act of vanity")When asked why she accepted his temporary removal from office rather than pushing for his resignation, Ms Chaudhury told NDTV that her actions were guided at least in part by how Mr Tejpal's exit could financially impact the organization and the jobs of her employees.
Both Mr Tejpal and the journalist will have the opportunity to present their accounts to a committee created by Tehelka to investigate the controversy, Ms Chaudhury said.
"I am proud that she spoke up, I don't want to be seen in opposition to her," Ms Chaudhury told NDTV today, "but now that it is a criminal case, both sides should be heard." (
Tehelka case: FIR charges Tarun Tejpal with rape)