Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal on Friday faced possible arrest after Goa police booked him on rape charge following an allegation by a journalist colleague that he sexually assaulted her during an event a fortnight ago.
A special investigating team of the Crime Branch police will be in Delhi for questioning Tejpal and police are not ruling out arrest.
“An FIR has been filed on charges of rape and outraging of modesty (against Tejpal). This is one part of the process of investigation and law will take its course,” DGP Kishan Kumar said in Panaji. The charges relate to Sections 376 (rape), 376 (2) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC, he said.
Asked whether Tejpal would be arrested, the DGP said, “As I told you this is a matter of investigation. Let us leave it to Investigating Officers. It is a process under law which has logical consequences. I cannot say how the IO will do.” Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar made it clear that his government will show “no tolerance for this type of crime and we should crackdown on such high-profile crimes”.
He said Goa police has not received any response from Tehelka to the letter sent to it seeking details of the alleged incident.
“I am not saying someone is guilty but the girl’s email (to her office) is explicit,” he said and commended her for showing courage to report the incident. While Tejpal issued a statement offering to extend the “fullest cooperation” to the police and all other authorities, the magazine’s Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury said they would not go to police on the issue as it was for the victim to decide on it.
Delhi Police team at Tejpal’s house
A Delhi police team reached Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal’s house in New Delhi on Friday afternoon to provide security against possible protest.
According to police, the deployment was made at Tejpal’s Jangpura residence as a “precautionary measure” after members of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest outside the investigative magazine’s Greater Kailash office here earlier in the day.
“Police personnel have been moved in to provide security in case of a protest at Tejpal’s residence as there was one earlier in the day at the magazine’s office. It is a precautionary measure, we have nothing to do with the case,” said a senior Delhi police official.
Sources said Delhi police will have to provide logistical support to a Goa police team which is coming to the national capital to question Tejpal, against whom an FIR has been filed and rape charge slapped by Goa police, but won’t be directly involved in the matter.
Tejpal faces arrest after Goa police booked him on charges of rape and outraging the modesty of a woman colleague of Tehelka magazine.
NCW asks Goa Police to file FIR in sexual assault case
Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports, the National Commission for Women on Friday said it has written to Goa Police to file an FIR in the alleged sexual assault case against Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal.
“We have written to Goa Police to take cognizance of the matter and file an FIR against Tarun Tejpal,” NCW member Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar said on Friday.
She said the NCW member in-charge of Goa, Shamina Shafiq, who is in Mumbai, has spoken to Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury and will try to speak to the girl on Friday.
“From her emails that we have read, subject to its authentication, it seems to be more than depriving her of her modesty. It is a serious issue and there seems to be clear violation of Visakha guidelines.
“Though the girl has not approached us personally, she seems to be interested in getting justice, Pravabhalkar had said on Thursday.
NCW has also written to Justice Markandey Katju, Chairman of the Press Council of India requesting him to intervene and examine the matter that whether Visakha guidelines were followed in this matter or not.
Goa government had on Thursday ordered a probe into the alleged sexual assault by Tejpal on a woman journalist colleague.
The alleged incident happened in a lift in a five star hotel in Goa about 10 days ago.
The case was handed over to the Crime Branch of police which has got the footage of the Close Circuit Television in the hotel.
They have also sought the copy of the complaint filed by the girl from Tehelka.
Tejpal had written to Tehelka’s Managing Editor, saying he was “recusing” from work for 6 months admitting to “bad lapse of judgement”.