Editors Guild seeks Akbar's response over 'rape' charge

In the wake of allegation of rape by US journalist Pallavi Gogoi against M.J. Akbar, The Editors Guild on Friday said it was seeking the former editor's response before deciding on his membership.

The Guild said it was "tracking with great concern" the fresh and serious charges of sexual misconduct against Akbar, a past president and now a member of the Guild.

"In accordance with the decision of the Guild's last EGM, as ratified at the subsequent meeting of the executive, membership of those editors, whose profession has changed from journalism goes dormant. Akbar's membership is also therefore dormant," it said in a statement.

"The Guild executive is discussing further course of action. As provided by the Guild's Constitution, the executive committee is writing to him to respond to these allegations. His response will then be put up to the executive. A decision on his membership will be taken once this due process is completed," it added.

Akbar, who quit as Union Minister after charges of sexual harassment by many journalists, has been accused of "rape" by Gogoi while she was working under him when he was the Editor of The Asian Age years ago.

The journalist-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha member has rubbished Gogoi's allegations and claimed they had a "consensual relationship".

--IANS

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