MJ Akbar calls Pallavi Gogoi’s accusation of rape ‘false’, claims they had a ‘consensual relationship’

MJ Akbar responded to Pallavi Gogoi’s accusation of rape, calling them “false allegations of rape and violence against me”. Akbar said The Washington Post had sent his lawyers “a series of cryptic and non-specific” questions on October 29, on incidents that allegedly took place 23 years ago. Akbar said the allegations were “false and were consequently denied”.

He said, “Somewhere around 1994, Ms Pallavi Gogoi and I entered into a consensual relationship that spanned several months … and would later cause significant strife in my home life as well. The consensual relationship ended, perhaps not on the best note. Several people who worked with me and knew both of us have come forward to indicate that they would be happy to bear testimony to what is stated above…”

MJ Akbar’s wife Mallika also released a statement, saying Gogoi had “caused unhappiness and discord in our home” 20 years ago. She accused Gogoi of “flaunting her relationship” at the time. She said, “Tushita Patel and Pallavi Gogoi were often at our home, happily drinking and dining with us. Neither carried the haunted look of victims of sexual assault.”

Pallavi Gogoi, now chief business editor for NPR, wrote in The Washington Post that Akbar had raped her when she had worked under him as a 23-year-old at Asian Age.

Gogoi wrote of two incidents first: one where Akbar “suddenly lunged to kiss me” and another where “came close” to kiss her and then scratched her face when she ran away. Then when Gogoi had been on assignment in Jaipur, Akbar called her to his hotel to discuss the story she was working on. “In his hotel room, even though I fought him, he was physically more powerful. He ripped off my clothes and raped me. Instead of reporting him to the police, I was filled with shame. I didn’t tell anyone about this then. Would anyone have believed me? I blamed myself. Why did I go to the hotel room?”

Gogoi wrote, “He continued to coerce me. For a few months, he continued to defile me sexually, verbally, emotionally. He would burst into loud rages in the newsroom if he saw me talking to male colleagues my own age. It was frightening.”

Akbar was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women last month. He resigned from his post as Union minister and has filed a defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani.