Tehelka sexual assault case: National Women's Commission member accuses BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi of irresponsible behaviour for naming victim

National Women’s Commission (NCW) member Shamina Shafiq on Saturday criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi, for revealing the surname of the victim of the sexual assault case involving former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal on Twitter.

“She is a responsible person, and if a person like her makes a mistake like this, than it is very unfortunate. It is a punishable offence under 228A, that you cannot reveal the identity of the victim. We will be taking action against this. We will ask for her explanation on this issue,” she said on Meenakshi Lekhi, who on Friday had twitted the surname of the victim and later apologized for it.

“I don’t understand what has happened to our political class. They blacken the house of a woman. Then they say that people will not employ women in offices because of this case. Now again, this irresponsible behaviour,” she added.

“It is his duty. Any person, who has been booked under certain offence, should definitely cooperate with the police. He is doing the right thing by cooperating,” she said on Tarun Tejpal, who earlier today joined the probe against him with the police

“The common man looks up to the media for the directions and the truth. Media tells us about what is wrong and what is right. And, if such important pillars do not report the malpractices against women in its offices, then it’s a matter of grave concern,” she said on the growing cases of sexual harassment cases against women in workplaces

“There should be a proper action against these practices, however it is not a new matter. It is a woman who becomes a victim always. A woman is sexually harassed in workplace and then she is victimized. She is forced to drop the case or to resign from the job,” she added.