Tehelka founder Tejpal dropped from TOI Litfest after uproar on Social media
New Delhi, Nov 25: Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal, an accused in sexual assault case has been dropped from Times of India Litfest after massive uproar on social media.
Reportedly the organisers were bombarded with angry tweets after the news revealed that 50-year-old editor will also grace the occasion. The festival is scheduled for the first week of December in Mumbai.
Tejpal was suppose to speak on 'Tyranny of Power' along with many other eminent guests like Congress MP Manishankar Aiyar, author Basharat Peer and journalist Manu Joseph.
Bachi
Karkaria,
who
is
the
director
of
the
festival
confirmed
the
dropping
of
editor
from
the
list.
"We
have
asked
Tarun
Tejpal
to
drop
out
of
the
TOI
Litfest.
We've
got
a
great
program
&
we
don't
want
it
hijacked
by
extraneous
noise",
Karkaria
tweeted.
Rape
scandal
haunts
Tejapal
In
November
last
year,
during
an
event
organised
by
his
magazine,
a
woman
journalist
had
accused
editor
Tejpal
of
sexually
assaulting
her
in
a
five
star
hotel
in
Goa.
After
that,
he
was
booked
under
Sections
354A
(outraging
the
modesty
of
a
woman)
and
376
(2)(K)
(custodial
rape)
of
IPC
on
the
complaint
of
the
victim.
At
present
he
is
out
on
bail.
Here are some twitter reactions, expressing their ire at Tejpal's inclusion in the event
Asking
Tejpal
to
"drop
out"
of
#ToiLitFest
because
of
"extraneous
noise"
rather
than
rape
charge
shows
lesson
not
fully
learnt
—
Minhaz
Merchant
(@minhazmerchant)
November
24,
2014
Checked
schedule
&
pics
of
#ToiLitFest
with
impressive
line
up
of
Leftists,
Liberals,
Rapist,
Anti-Semite
and
Indophobes.
Intricate
Balance!
—
Kesar
(@Kesar_)
November
24,
2014
So
#ToiLitFest
withdraws
their
invitation
to
Tejpal.
Good.
But
I
wont
forget
that
they
invited
him
in
the
frst
place.
They
cant
undo
that
—
Vande
Mataram
(@UnSubtleDesi)
November
24,
2014
By
having
Tarun
Tejpal
on
#ToiLitFest
panel,elite
old
boys
lobby
is
basically
telling
d
women
of
India:We
can
abuse
u
&
u
can't
do
jackshit
—
Smita
Barooah
(@smitabarooah)
November
22,
2014
Dear
ladies,
please
carry
this
along
with
pepper
spray
if
u
r
going
to
#ToiLitFest
Tarun
Tejpal
pic.twitter.com/sMxCZAagiz
—
Gogo
Ka
Bhatija
(@CrimeMasterV2)
November
22,
2014
This
is
why
#RapistTejpal
got
bail
...
to
attend
#ToiLET
#ToiLitFest
#Shame
@manoharparrikar
@HMOIndia
http://t.co/U9tOSwpefg
—
suresh
(@suresh97)
November
22,
2014
OneIndia News