Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi/Panaji: A Goa Sessions Court on Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the founder-editor of Tehelka magazine and subsequently gave permission to the Goa police to arrest him for sexually assaulting a woman colleague in a Goa hotel earlier this month.
Shortly after his bail plea was denied, Tejpal was arrested by the Goa police for raping a junior colleague.
As soon as the bail plea got rejected, Tejpal`s lawyer, Geeta Luthra said, "Tarun Tejpal is already in the Crime Branch. We have cooperated 100 percent. I want to emphasis one thing, the trial will proceed on its own. We had to join the investigation, and we have joined it."
Tejpal had visited the Goa Crime Branch office today morning, and had said that he was cooperating in the investigation.
Earlier, Tejpal had confirmed yesterday that he has joined an investigation started by Goa Police in connection with the sexual assault case filed against him.
Speaking to media outside the Crime Branch headquarters of Goa Police in the Dona Paula area of Panaji today morning, Tejpal had said, "From the very beginning, I had said that we would cooperate in the investigation with the police. And because of that, I reached here after being issued a summons by the police."
A Goa Sessions Court had yesterday given Tejpal interim bail, after the former had decided to extend the hearing of his case till 10 am today.
Tejpal had landed in Panaji yesterday, and as expected, was escorted by law enforcement officials to the court in connection with a sexual harassment case lodged against him.
Goa Police had earlier sought custodial interrogation of Tejpal, as they believed he was trying to avoid them and possible arrest in connection with the case.
Tejpal`s lawyers had moved the court for bail after a joint team of Goa and Delhi police went to his residence in Delhi to arrest him this morning but did not find him there. Later they carried out searches at various other places, including that of his relatives.
Goa Police had summoned Tejpal to appear before it in connection with the sexual assault allegation against him.
Tejpal was summoned in the wake of the recording of the statement made by the victim, a former woman journalist of Tehelka, before a Goa court.
She was allegedly sexually assaulted in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa earlier this month.
The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday reserved its order on Tejpal`s bail application till Friday.
Tejpal had applied for anticipatory bail even before the Goa Police summoned him.
Tejpal has filed a petition before the high court alleging that there was conspiracy behind the allegations of sexual assault, that the woman journalist was lying, and described the incident as a `light hearted banter`.
Goa Police had on November 22 lodged an FIR against Tejpal under IPC sections 376 (rape), 376 (2)(K) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty). Conviction under section 376 of IPC entails a maximum of life term in jail.
Goa Police was instructed by the state government to investigate her allegations, contained in the email by her to Chaudhury. That email was leaked to the press. The FIR against Tejpal lists rape by a person in a position of authority over the woman, an offence that carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
With ANI inputs
