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India sex assault case spotlights powerful predators

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RPT-India sex assault case spotlights powerful predators| Reuters

RPT-India sex assault case spotlights powerful predators
(This is a repeat of an item published on Thursday)

* Allegations against editor dominate Indian media

* Lawyers say harassment common among social elite

* Case seen as a chance to tackle sexual violence at work

By Nita Bhalla

NEW DELHI, Nov 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The man at the centre of a sexual assault scandal that has whipped India's media into a frenzy is no average Joe.

Tarun Tejpal is one of India's most powerful journalists, and accusations that he sexually assaulted a colleague have uncovered what lawyers say is an often buried truth - such violence is common in the highest echelons of society.

An investigation into Tejpal, who denies the accusations, has dominated headlines for eight days as news outlets follow every twist and turn. It comes days after similar accusations were made by an intern against a retired Supreme Court judge.

For Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising, both cases show how hard it is for women to press complaints against colleagues in the workplace, particularly if they are powerful individuals not used to having their authority challenged.

Yet they also present authorities with a rare opportunity to demonstrate that no one is above the law - that sexual abuse, no matter who it involves, will be dealt with thoroughly and, if proven, properly punished.

"I think sexual harassment in the work place is pervasive in India, yet the culture of silence is huge," Jaising, a senior legal adviser to the Indian government, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"That's why I think that these two cases, both that of the law intern and the Tehelka journalist, are highly significant. If we fail in addressing these two issues, we will have failed the nation."

The allegations against Tejpal, the 50-year-old founder and editor-in-chief of India's leading investigative magazine Tehelka, surfaced on the Internet last week when an email from a 23-year-old female journalist to her superior was leaked.

The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, accused Tejpal of assaulting her on two occasions in a hotel elevator.

The incidents in India's western resort state of Goa occurred during an event bringing together intellectuals, activists and celebrities, including Hollywood actor Robert De Niro.

The journalist did not press charges against Tejpal, but police launched an investigation based on media reports. Tejpal could be booked for outraging the modesty of a woman and rape.

Tejpal admitted in a leaked email to the magazine's management that an "unfortunate incident" had occurred between himself and the journalist, describing it as "a bad lapse of judgment". But in a more recent statement to a Delhi court he called what happened consensual.

CASES COME TO LIGHT

In recent months, the media have focused on alleged abuses within the upper echelons of Indian society.

The legal fraternity was shaken after a young lawyer said a retired Supreme Court judge had sexually harassed her in a Delhi hotel room last year while she was an intern.

About three months ago, a Hindu guru popularly known as Asaram Bapu was arrested for sexually molesting an ailing girl child on the pretext of exorcising evil spirits said to be inhabiting her body. Asaram calls the charges fabricated.

But it is the Tejpal case, above all, that has revived the intense debate about violence against women first triggered by the gang rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus 11 months ago.

That landmark case, in which the four culprits were sentenced to death, dispelled some of the stigma attached to discussing sex crimes in largely patriarchal India, and emboldened more women to come forward with their accounts.

Police in New Delhi, for example, believe a rise in rape reports is due partly to victims' greater willingness to complain.

There were 1,036 cases of rape reported in the capital this year by August 15, an increase of nearly 2-1/2 times from 433 cases in the corresponding period last year, police data show.

India's parliament passed a law to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace in February, although similar public and private sector guidelines had been in place for more than 16 years.

The new law covers women working in the informal sector and requires employers to set up internal complaints panels, although Jaising said the guidelines had been ignored.

"The two cases - one of the intern and the journalist - we notice a failure of the institutions," she said.

"Neither the Supreme Court of India nor Tehelka reported what clearly constituted cognisable offences to the police."

But the vast majority of victims are still too scared to speak up, say rights activists, despite the high-profile sexual abuse cases in the headlines.

"Women are not encouraged to come forward," said Rebecca Reichmann Tavares, India representative of UN Women, a grouping set up by the world body to encourage gender equality and empower women.

"They are encouraged to just try to forget it. No one wants to be confronted with the ugly reality and the men who perpetrate these crimes often have power not only over the women they abuse, but over the other people in the workplace."

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

In the case of the retired judge, Stella James, an intern at the time of the alleged incident last December, noted in a blog posting on Nov. 6 that it occurred, ironically, during huge protests over the gang rape case.

"I won't go into the gory details, but suffice it to say that long after I'd left the room, the memory remained, in fact, still remains, with me," James wrote.

She said she had not come forward earlier because she did not want to ruin the judge's reputation, but now felt "a responsibility to ensure that other young girls were not put in a similar situation."

Rebecca Mammen John, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer, said she had heard of many such cases.

"I've heard complaints made by junior lawyers against their seniors, I've heard serious allegations made against judges by interns," she said. "But I also see it in all the other environments where the powerful preside. It's fairly widespread." (Editing by Mike Collett-White and Clarence Fernandez)
 
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It indeed a problem.But our junk media need rating and for that they run this nasty episode for over
week.They dont count how this will effect country's image.Misbehaving against women is problem present in whole world.But our medias particularly national media sensationlism twist that and now
whole the world is a .major problem in our country.This moronic foriegners often believes this speculative fake news.Unfortunate:angry:
 
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The media has been much harsher in this case as it was one of their own and they did not want to be portrayed as shielding someone. plus shoma and arun did not help things by trying to cover things up.
 
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Apart from the usual rapists.. whats with fake "gurus" ? how come they have such large following n live like kings despite the fact tht they have several rape,murder cases against them?
 
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Apart from the usual rapists.. whats with fake "gurus" ? how come they have such large following n live like kings despite the fact tht they have several rape,murder cases against them?
Not all such Gurus are fake. A lot of such Gurus and Babas are learned men who're doing their bit to help society. But black sheep are everywhere, and a few such fake Gurus have exploited the public which is naive enough to see greatness in them. They're not very different from the Mullahs in their mandate.
 
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Not all such Gurus are fake. A lot of such Gurus and Babas are learned men who're doing their bit to help society. But black sheep are everywhere, and a few such fake Gurus have exploited the public which is naive enough to see greatness in them. They're not very different from the Mullahs in their mandate.

Holy men dnt own assets worth billions... they are dervaish,faqirs... who ask for nothing... i wonder how ppl r fooled by these gurus... even their "sermons" they way they speak,act is so artificial...

As for mullahs... lmao...dude there is a big difference between those fake small time pirs tht advertise shit like exorcism,getting love n crap.. we have n ur fake billionaire gurus..
 
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Holy men dnt own assets worth billions... they are dervaish,faqirs... who ask for nothing... i wonder how ppl r fooled by these gurus... even their "sermons" they way they speak,act is so artificial...

As for mullahs... lmao...dude there is a big difference between those fake small time pirs tht advertise shit like exorcism,getting love n crap.. we have n ur fake billionaire gurus..

I said they both serve the same mandate in society. Not all Gurus are rich in India either. Owing to our population, the number of rich Gurus may be more, but their ratios when compared to number of such people would still be low.

These holy men usually run ashrams(similar to madrasas) and end up getting large donations from public for such activities. The ones who misuse them end up making personal fortunes. Many ashrams are also run clean and well. plus, a few Gurus have ventured into branding themselves(like Art of Living) and have their own TV channels too(similar to Dr. Zakir Naik). All these bring in substantial money which is usually shown as utilized for the welfare of people.
 
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The media has been much harsher in this case as it was one of their own and they did not want to be portrayed as shielding someone. plus shoma and arun did not help things by trying to cover things up.

I've heard of a director of an institution in Ahmedabad...guy was some big shot/ head in some marketing company (the one that makes Nivea or something) and he decided to become a 'professor' of marketing. So this old SOB (in his 60s and 70s now) ends up leading several b schools and has a reputation for using his position to 'influence' students into 'relationships' with him (at least that's the rumor he's been spreading). Well I always thought old dog but if it is consensual then why not? Later I began to hear that he's actually more of a victimizer. One instance he got a girl thrown out of college allegedly for 'smoking on campus' or something but in reality because she wouldn't sleep with him. I can't understand why these kinds of people are not brought out in the open more aggrssivly? Last I heard he continues heading a new B School (fresh stock no?)
 
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I said they both serve the same mandate in society. Not all Gurus are rich in India either. Owing to our population, the number of rich Gurus may be more, but their ratios when compared to number of such people would still be low.

These holy men usually run ashrams(similar to madrasas) and end up getting large donations from public for such activities. The ones who misuse them end up making personal fortunes. Many ashrams are also run clean and well. plus, a few Gurus have ventured into branding themselves(like Art of Living) and have their own TV channels too(similar to Dr. Zakir Naik). All these bring in substantial money which is usually shown as utilized for the welfare of people.

Situation is much different in Pakistan... we have small time crooks who scam people n worse by luring them with fake promises like "finding true love,jobs,exorcism etc" .. but they arent followed like indian gurus... they arent given any airtime.. people dnt know them... apart from the ads they give in shitty 2 rs news papers....As for madrassas... again no comparison... some maulvis might scam people with "chanda for construction of mosques or madrassas" ... with small donation boxes etc... but u cant compare them with indian gurus..

While its opposite in indias case..

I mean come on... do ur famous "gurus" look holy from any angle? they look like artificial drama queens rather than holy men.

The real holy men dnt go around living,acting like tht... they live simple lives... most of the time poor... dnt ask for donations,alms...they dnt ask for anything in return for their prayers... etc...
 
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Situation is much different in Pakistan... we have small time crooks who scam people n worse by luring them with fake promises like "finding true love,jobs,exorcism etc" .. but they arent followed like indian gurus... they arent given any airtime.. people dnt know them... apart from the ads they give in shitty 2 rs news papers....As for madrassas... again no comparison... some maulvis might scam people with "chanda for construction of mosques or madrassas" ... with small donation boxes etc... but u cant compare them with indian gurus..

While its opposite in indias case..

I mean come on... do ur famous "gurus" look holy from any angle? they look like artificial drama queens rather than holy men.

The real holy men dnt go around living,acting like tht... they live simple lives... most of the time poor... dnt ask for donations,alms...they dnt ask for anything in return for their prayers... etc...

Dude, people who have problems will seek solace wherever, including charlatans. I have seen with my own eyes sadhus in rihikesh with nothing, no posessions at all. They spend their lives in meditation and obviously they're going to a place after death that the charlatans can never hope to.
 
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Situation is much different in Pakistan... we have small time crooks who scam people n worse by luring them with fake promises like "finding true love,jobs,exorcism etc" .. but they arent followed like indian gurus... they arent given any airtime.. people dnt know them... apart from the ads they give in shitty 2 rs news papers....As for madrassas... again no comparison... some maulvis might scam people with "chanda for construction of mosques or madrassas" ... with small donation boxes etc... but u cant compare them with indian gurus..

While its opposite in indias case..

I mean come on... do ur famous "gurus" look holy from any angle? they look like artificial drama queens rather than holy men.

The real holy men dnt go around living,acting like tht... they live simple lives... most of the time poor... dnt ask for donations,alms...they dnt ask for anything in return for their prayers... etc...

If you're relying on the Indian media to give you a good approximation of these Gurus, you're mistaken dude. Only the infamous/outrageously inappropriate ones are highlighted by the media. But yeah, human stupidity knows no bounds. Some of them must be very stupid indeed to fall for trickster Sadhus and Gurus.
 
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If you're relying on the Indian media to give you a good approximation of these Gurus, you're mistaken dude. Only the infamous/outrageously inappropriate ones are highlighted by the media. But yeah, human stupidity knows no bounds. Some of them must be very stupid indeed to fall for trickster Sadhus and Gurus.

Dude i have a sat dish...and frankly even the "good "gurus" tht start preaching every morning on your tv stations makes me curious ... i mean how can people follow them .. when they are so fake...even more fake than "dr ghalib liaqat" of "geo network"... :lol:
 
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Dude i have a sat dish...and frankly even the "good "gurus" tht start preaching every morning on your tv stations makes me curious ... i mean how can people follow them .. when they are so fake...even more fake than "dr ghalib liaqat" of "geo network"... :lol:

I think you should give the answer...you watch those shows, we don't, so you know more than us.
 
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Situation is much different in Pakistan... we have small time crooks who scam people n worse by luring them with fake promises like "finding true love,jobs,exorcism etc" .. but they arent followed like indian gurus... they arent given any airtime.. people dnt know them... apart from the ads they give in shitty 2 rs news papers....As for madrassas... again no comparison... some maulvis might scam people with "chanda for construction of mosques or madrassas" ... with small donation boxes etc... but u cant compare them with indian gurus..

While its opposite in indias case..

I mean come on... do ur famous "gurus" look holy from any angle? they look like artificial drama queens rather than holy men.

The real holy men dnt go around living,acting like tht... they live simple lives... most of the time poor... dnt ask for donations,alms...they dnt ask for anything in return for their prayers... etc...

Wait a minute have you forgotten those good for nothing morning shows in which they have started a trend of inviting such fake wannabe mullahs who serve only one purpose and that is take exorcism to another level lol I mean its not to that extent but its still increasing.
 
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