NEW DELHI (TIP): Editor-inchief of Tehelka Tarun Tejpal has “recused” himself for six months from his concern after what the official statement described as an “incident with a (woman) journalist”. In an email to the magazine’s managing editor Shoma Chaudhury, Tejpal wrote: “The last few days have been most testing, and I squarely take the blame for this.

A bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident that rails against all we believe in and fight for.” “I have already unconditionally apologized for my misconduct to the concerned journalist, but I feel impelled to atone further. Tehelka has been born and built, day on day, with my blood, toil, tears and sweat, and that of many others, against near-insurmountable odds,” he added. In the email, he further wrote: “The last few days have been most testing, and I squarely take the blame for this.

A bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident that rails against all we believe in and fight for. I have already unconditionally apologized for my misconduct to the concerned journalist, but I feel impelled to atone further. I feel atonement cannot be just words. I must do the penance that lacerates me.

I am therefore offering to recuse myself from the editorship of Tehelka, and from the Tehelka office, for the next six months.” Speaking to NDTV, a person close to the woman journalist said, “It happened not once, but twice and the girl is completely shattered and emotionally scarred. She continues to put forward her plea that Tehelka should set up a committee to look into sexual harassment cases according to Visakha guidelines.”