Facing allegations of sexual assault and intimidation from a junior woman colleague, founder and editor-in-chief of weekly magazine Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal , said Wednesday that he was stepping down from the post for six months to "do the penance that lacerates" him.

Tejpal's decision came after the woman journalist complained to Shoma Chaudhury, managing editor of Tehelka, accusing Tejpal of sexually assaulting her on two occasions during the 'Think fest' event organised by the magazine in Goa earlier this month.

The alleged incident comes close on the heels of the claim of a young woman lawyer that she was sexually harassed last December by a recently-retired Supreme Court judge with whom she was interning, causing the apex court to suo motu launch an inquiry into the allegations.

In an email to Chaudhury, Tejpal claimed "a bad lapse of judgment" and "an awful misreading of the situation" had led to an "unfortunate incident".

"I have already unconditionally apologised for my misconduct to the concerned journalist, but I feel impelled to atone further," he wrote in the mail. He also wrote that he had hurt "our own high principles" and that "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."

Announcing the decision to Tehelka's employees, Chaudhury said in her email that there had been an "unfortunate incident" and that Tejpal was recusing himself as the editor for the next six months even though he had extended an unconditional apology to the colleague involved.

Reached for comment, Tejpal told The Indian Express: "The matter was taken up internally, and has been addressed and redressed."

Chaudhury told The Indian Express that the woman journalist had not filed a criminal complaint and that she, as well as other staffers, were "satisfied with the action taken".

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