Usually it is the other way around as Tehelka is known for breaking scandals, news, etc but now is on the receiving end. A journalist working in Tehelka had alleged that the Editor-in-Chief of Tehelka news weekly Tarun Tejpal had sexually assaulted her during a high-profile conference held in Goa earlier this month.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Thursday that the Goa Police will conduct a preliminary enquiry into allegations.
"I have asked the police to conduct a preliminary enquiry. Right now we do not have an clear indication if the incident happened in Goa," Parrikar said.
"If the enquiry reveals that the incident took place here, then we will proceed further as per the law," the chief minister said.
Tejpal, who has not denied the charges, stepped down as the editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper, calling it "atonement" for his actions.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tehelka's managing editor Shoma Chaudhury sent an email to employees, containing an appended letter from Tejpal, Tehelka's founder and editor-in-chief.
In an email to Shoma Chaudhary earlier, Tejpal said: "A bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident that is against all we believe in and fight for."
"I have already unconditionally apologised for my misconduct to the concerned journalist, but I feel impelled to atone further. I am therefore offering to recuse myself from the editorship of Tehelka, and from the Tehelka office, for the next six months."
Chaudhury sent a letter to Tehelka employees, with Tejpal's "atonement" note as attachment, saying: "There was an incident which has been dealt with internally. An unconditional apology was extended by Tarun. The journalist concerned was satisfied with the action taken. Tarun voluntarily recusing himself as editor is in keeping with the standards we have espoused as an institution and want to live by."
Chaudhury also asked her colleagues to "stand by the institution" in what was a "hard time for all of us".
The National Commission for Women (NCW) said on Thursday that it would probe the alleged sexual assault if the matter is brought before it.
NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma said: "Once the matter is brought to the National Commission for Women, we will investigate and ensure that the accused gets punishment, if found guilty. He will have to face a trial in the court."
"Tarun Tejpal is no god to decide his own course of punishment," Sharma said.
Former police official and prominent civil society activist Kiran Bedi termed the incident an "extremely erroneous act".
"As per the law, there can be two actions taken: the first being the matter should be sent to the sexual harassment committee of Tehelka, if there is indeed any such committee, and the matter be investigated in detail," Bedi said.
"The second being the police should take suo motu cognizance of the matter and investigate it to the core, even if the victim doesn't want to file an FIR."
"This shows how vulnerable woman are in Indian society," Bedi added.
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