Tehelka case: Tarun Tejpal charged with rape

Former Tehalka chief Tarun Tejpal was on Monday charged by Goa Police with rape of his woman colleague.

Zee Media Bureau

Panaji: Tehelka founder editor Tarun Tejpal was on Monday charged by Goa police with rape, sexual harassment and outraging modesty of a woman journalist in a lift of a five-star hotel here in November last year.

If proven guilty, Tejpal can be sentenced for more than seven years of imprisonment on these charges.

Investigating officer Sunita Sawant has charged Tejpal under sections?354, 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 and 342 (wrongful restrain), 376 (rape), 376(2)(f) and 376 (2)(k) (takes advantage of his official position and commits rape on a woman in his custody).

The 2,684-page charge sheet filed before Chief Judicial Magistrate Anuja Prabhudesai has examined 152 witnesses including the victim, staff of Tehelka magazine and the investigating officer in the case.

The investigating officer has noted that there are incriminating emails in this regard containing his apology, email letters to the victim regarding rape, sexual harassment, and outraging her modesty which were retrieved at his instance.
He has been accused of raping a journalist working with the magazine a lift at a hotel in Goa. The incident happened during Tehelka`s ThinkFest in November 2013. After his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a local court, Tejpal was arrested by the Crime Branch of Goa police on November 30. At present he is in judicial custody at the Sada sub-jail at Vasco, 35 km from here.

Tejpal has however denied the charges.
Meanwhile, a court here on February 10 had extended his judicial remand by 14 more days. He has already approached the Bombay High Court for bail.

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