Not my place to go to police: Tehelka's Shoma Chaudhury to NDTV

New Delhi: Shoma Chaudhary, the Managing Editor of Tehelka, spoke to NDTV today about the charges of sexual assault against her boss Tarun Tejpal, who is the founder of the news-magazine.

Here are the highlights of her interview:

• Can't comment on rape charges and FIR against Tarun Tejpal - have just heard of them
• Will cooperate with investigation
• Journalist who complained of sexual assault said she was not driven by a sense of vengeance after she received Tejpal's apology
• I started getting barrage of calls with people asking me to go to police. I had no idea her account was in public domain
• When Tarun Tejpal sent email that he's stepping down, how could there have been attempt at a cover-up?
• To be charged with rape, doesn't mean rape... and two days ago he wasn't. Keep chronology straight
• People from the outside can say why its wasn't better handled but one is operating in the real-time zone
• In retrospect, the language of both his letter and mine seems tonally wrong in my understanding
• His actions as individual separate from institution
• I was trying to do right by my junior colleague. There were considerations about issues like financial closure.
• Just before I released the letter to office, I spoke to her
• Officially, I did not cross-check her version with the three other journalists she marked on the email
• Why I didn't follow Vishakha rules is a contested question. My lawyers said it wasn't necessary
• On a phone call with her, she said she was satisfied with the actions
• I acknowledge the tonal error on my part
• Huge misconception that I had known of the incident for days
• Not my place to go to police
• Still not willing to speak about Tarun Tejpal's version publicly because it is his right to go before the committee
• Tarun Tejpal's letter of recusal not a letter of apology to the woman journalist
• Tarun extended an unconditional apology to her in a letter that is not in the public domain
• Don't unilaterally want to go to the police and I stand by that
• It is her prerogative to go to the police
• Aghast that a man of Arun Jaitley's stature and legal standing  will say rape and not alleged rape since he has only one side of the story
• Word 'rape' came in public domain because of the people outside Tehelka
• If the girl's version turns out to be correct, I would see it as rape or attempt to rape at least
• Was so devastated with her account, that for 2-3 days my sole aim was to address her sense of extreme grievance
• Now it has entered a zone of criminality and legality, that wasn't the zone we were operating in two days ago
• Tehelka's work, other journalists, the institution not a party to the transgression
• She didn't accuse him of rape, she said sexual molestation
• Within the institution did not want her character or accusations put up for discussion, that was in a limited sense my politics
• The intention wasn't to put out anything. I didn't leak the letters out
• The saddest thing for me is to be seen in opposition to her. Proud she spoke out
• But in a criminal case, I have equal allegiance to both sides