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Indian editor charged with rape and sexual abuse Indian editor charged with rape and sexual abuse
(35 minutes later)
Police in India have filed rape and sexual abuse charges against the editor of an Indian magazine known for exposing abuses of power. Indian police have charged Tarun Tejpal – a high-profile editor of an investigative magazine – with sexually assaulting a female colleague in the lift of a five-star hotel in the resort state of Goa.
Tarun Tejpal, the editor of Tehelka, had tried to evade arrest after being accused by a young female colleague of sexually assaulting her in a hotel lift during a conference in November, according to the charge sheet. Under newly expanded Indian laws on women's safety, Tejpal was charged on Monday with rape and outraging the woman's modesty. If convicted he could face up to seven years in prison.
The allegations have shocked many in India, in part because Tejpal is the public face of a publication that has pushed Indian society to tackle corruption and confront sexual violence. Police also said Tejpal tried to evade arrest for several weeks after being accused. He has been in custody since 30 November and faces a bail hearing on Tuesday
Tejpal has been in custody in the southern resort state of Goa since 30 November, when a judge rejected his bail petition. The case against Tejpal has shocked many in India, in part because he was the face of a weekly investigative magazine that has pushed Indian society to confront corruption and sexual violence.
The woman said Tejpal assaulted her twice in a hotel lift, on 7-8 November, when the magazine was hosting its annual conference of Indian leaders, newsmakers and celebrities.
The woman's duties at the conference involved escorting Robert de Niro and his daughter to events.
As the allegations became public, Tejpal first apologised for "a bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation" and said he was stepping down for six months. Later, he described the sexual encounter as consensual and fleeting.
Tejpal came under investigation after the woman told the magazine's managing editor about the alleged assault. The woman has not been named in line with Indian laws protecting identities in sexual assault cases.
Indian media have chronicled every turn in the case, from leaked emails and police reports to a resignation letter in which the accuser said she endured "intimidation, character assassination and slander". Six other senior staff members have also resigned.
Tehelka, which means upheaval or sensation in Hindi, is closely followed by Indian journalists and the country's English-speaking elite. Using sting operations and exposés, the magazine has targeted high-level corruption in India.