Journalists bodies condemn Tarun Tejpal, demand probe, prosecution

Two journalists' bodies on Thursday condemned the alleged "grave" sexual assault involving 'Tehelka' editor Tarun Tejpal against a woman journalist of his magazine and demanded a complete investigation and prosecution.

In a statement, Editors' Guild of India President N Ravi said allegations of sexual assault made by a journalist of Tehelka against the magazine's editor Tarun Tejpal are "on the face of it shocking and shameful."

"Such incidents anywhere are condemnable in the strongest terms but the Guild is particularly saddened that they should engulf a media organisation", he added.

"It is emphatically the philosophy of the Guild that the media, that is the business of holding public persons accountable, should itself be held to the highest standards of conduct and decency," the statement said.

"The conduct that has been alleged would constitute grave sexual assault at the very least, taking advantage of the authority and power of the perpetrator within the media organisation," it added.

It also brings out vulnerability of young women journalists who need to be protected and free to pursue their careers without the fear of being subjected to such assaults, it said.

The statement emphasised that there ought not to be any attempt to cover up or play down this "extremely serious incident".

"Self-proclaimed atonement and recusal for a period are hardly the remedies for what the allegations show to be outright criminality. The full force of the law must be brought into its investigation and prosecution. Due regard must be paid to the sensitivity and privacy of the victim who has already been put to grievous suffering," it added.