Tehelka controversy snowballs

Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal's alleged sexual harrassment of a woman colleague snowballed into a controversy today with the Goa police considering summoning him while questions have been raised over the way the weekly magazine has handled the issue.

Tejpal last night announced that he was "recusing" from his job for six months after an email by the woman journalist of his magazine alleging sexual assault on her by him was made public.

The woman journalist, who had reportedly complained to Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury that Tejpal had pulled her into a lift in a hotel in Goa about 10 days back during an event organised by it on two days to assault her, is now said to be seeking constitution of a committee by the magazine to go into the issue and take action.

Chadhury, whose statements on the issue has attracted criticism from women activists and senior journalists who have demanded that law take its course in the incident, merely said today that she wanted time to act "correctly" on it.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar held a meeting with top civil and police officials when a preliminary probe was ordered into the incident.

While the police have asked for CCTV footage of the five star hotel where the incident took place, they have not ruled out the possibility of taking suo motu cognizance of the incident and proceed on that basis.

They are also said to be planning to take a statement from the woman journalist, the victim, based in Delhi.