'He continued to defile me sexually, verbally, emotionally': US-based journalist accuses MJ Akbar of rape

Weeks after MJ Akbar stepped down as the Minister of State for External Affairs over sexual harassment allegations against him, an US-based Journalist has now accused the editor-turned-politician of rape.

The claim has been made by a former Asian Age journalist who is now settled in the United States and works with National Public Radio (NPR).

The victim has narrated the incidents in a first-person account published in The Washington Post.

"The MJ Akbar I knew — editor in chief of the Asian Age newspaper — was a brilliant journalist. He also used his position to prey on me," she wrote in the article.

The victim has termed the incidents as most painful memories of her life. "I have shelved them away for 23 years."

Victim says that she was mesmerized by his use of language. "His turns of phrase and took all the verbal abuse as she was learning from the best. Or so I thought."

"At 23 I became the editor of the op-ed page at the Asian Age. But I ended up paying a very big price for doing a job I loved," she added.

Recounting the first incident, she wrote, "I went to show him the op-ed page I had created with what I thought were clever headlines. He applauded my effort and suddenly lunged to kiss me. I reeled. I emerged from the office, red-faced, confused, ashamed, destroyed."

When she was summoned to Bombay help launch a magazine, she says, "He called me to his room at the fancy Taj hotel, again to see the layouts. When he again came close to me to kiss me, I fought him and pushed him away. He scratched my face as I ran away, tears streaming down. That evening, I explained the scratches to a friend by telling her I had slipped and fallen at the hotel."

Another incident took place at a hotel room in Jaipur.  "...even though I fought him, he was physically more powerful," she said.

"Instead of reporting him to the police, I was filled with shame. I didn’t tell anyone about this then. Would anyone have believed me? I blamed myself. Why did I go to the hotel room?," she wrote in the article.

"He continued to coerce me. For a few months, he continued to defile me sexually, verbally, emotionally." 

Towards the ends, she wrote, "I am writing this because I know what it is like to be victimized by powerful men like Akbar. I am writing this to support the many women who have come out to tell their truth. I am writing this for my teenage daughter and son. So they know to fight back when anyone victimizes them. So they know never to victimize anyone."

However, Akbar has rejected all the allegations. “My client states that these [incidents and allegations] are false and expressly denied,” Akbar's lawyer told Washington Post.

Journalists from multiple media platforms have come forward claiming harassment by Akbar under the "#MeToo" social media campaign against sexual misconduct.
Akbar was in Africa when the allegations surfaced against him.

Akbar, who has filed a criminal defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani, told a Delhi court on Wednesday that an "immediate damage" has been caused to him due to the 'scurrilous', concocted and false allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against him.

The court has fixed November 12 for further hearing of the case when the statements of witnesses named by Akbar will be recorded.