Shoma Chaudhury quits Tehelka,BJP leader booked for vandalising her house
The Tehelka managing editor resigned on Thursday morning citing fears she's been misconstrued.
A case was registered on Thursday against Delhi BJP leader Vijay Jolly and a group of party workers who allegedly heckled former Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury,and defaced the nameplate outside her Saket residence in the morning.
An FIR in this regard was registered at Saket police station under section 341 (Obstruction),427 (Mischief),section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of the Properties Act,143 (Unlawful Assembly),149 (part of unlawful assembly) against Jolly and others here this evening.
“We have registered an FIR in this case and we are investigating the matter. We are also providing security to Chaudhury. We have also received a reference from NCW and we will reply to it tomorrow,” said a senior Delhi police official.
Earlier in the day,Chaudhury who had reached National Commission for Women (NCW) to record her statement about her and Tehelka’s response in dealing with alleged sexual assault case against its editor Tarun Tejpal,filed a complaint with the Commission regarding her house being vandalised allegedly by some BJP workers led by Jolly in the morning.
NCW member in-charge of Goa Shamina Shafiq then asked Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi to register an FIR in this case and provide security to Chaudhury.
Speaking to reporters,Chaudhury said,”My home was attacked and defaced. It is very distressing. I am very upset about it. Then there are mistakes that must be discussed and I think there should be measured public discourse,which will be very useful one.”
“I have absolutely no problem being questioned by anybody and definitely by my own fraternity,but I think what is problematic is the tone,because it creates this kind of volatile situations.
“I have complained to the NCW for what happened to me . I have children,they were terrified. I don’t think this (action) is proportionate. I have filed a complaint to the police,” she said.
In the morning,a group of BJP workers led by Jolly reached Chaudhury’s Saket residence to protest. The protesters not only painted the word ‘accused’ on Chaudhury’s nameplate,some of them also went on to surround and jostle the journalist as she was leaving her house.
When police personnel tried to escort Chaudhury to her car,Jolly even tried to climb on to the vehicle. Following criticism,BJP distanced itself from the protesters with senior party leader Sushma Swaraj saying their act was “not civilised”.
The BJP workers had protested outside the residence of Chaudhury,demanding her immediate arrest for allegedly trying to cover up sexual harassment complaint filed against the magazine’s Editor Tarun Tejpal by a woman journalist. The protesters said she had failed to take corrective measures in the sexual assault case and demanded her immediate arrest.
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