Tehelka's Tarun Tejpal, who is facing allegations of sexually assaulting a colleague
Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague at an event in Goa, has been booked for rape, say the police.
Speaking for the first time since the scandal erupted, Mr Tejpal today said he would cooperate with the police and urged them to release CCTV footage of the alleged incident, which he said would present an "accurate version of events."
Here are 10 big developments in this story:
The Union Home Ministry has asked the Goa government for a report on what it has uncovered so far. The Goa police began its enquiry yesterday.
The journalist has not filed a police case. She made her complaint in an email sent on Monday to Tehelka's Managing Editor, Shoma Chaudhury.
Earlier today, The National Commission for Women said there's enough evidence for the Goa police to immediately file a First Information Report or FIR against Mr Tejpal. An FIR is the first step in the filing of formal charges.
Activists and legal experts say Ms Chaudhury and Tehelka should have reported the matter to the police as soon as the journalist's complaint was received.
Tehelka has been excoriated for its handling of the journalist's complaint. Ms Chaudhury at first described the case as "an internal matter." Mr Tejpal wrote a letter to Ms Chaudhury informing her of his decision to "recuse" himself for six months from his office of editor-in-chief as "atonement."
Tehelka's managing editor Ms Chaudhury said today that though Mr Tejpal's version of what happened in Goa differed from that of the journalist's, she asked him to render an unconditional apology to the young woman.
She said that a new committee created by Tehelka to investigate sexual harassment complaints will study both versions.
Legal experts point out that in this case, new laws introduced in December to tackle sexual crimes could apply, and that Mr Tejpal could face charges of rape.
The stricter laws were cleared by parliament after the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student on a moving bus.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley has accused Mr Tejpal and Ms Chaudhury of striking "a private treaty" in what he described as an attempt to suppress "a clear case of rape."
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