Goa cops book Tejpal for rape, likely to arrest him

PROBE Cops retrieve CCTV footage from Goa hotel; Tehelka editor remains defiant

MUMBAI/ NEW DELHI: The Goa Police on Friday registered a case of rape against Tarun Tejpal and said a team was likely to travel to the Capital to question, and possibly arrest, the Tehelka founder-editor. Tejpal, 50, faces a sentence ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment if found guilty.

A woman journalist working with Tehelka has alleged that Tejpal sexually assaulted her on two occasions during a literary festival organised by the magazine in Goa earlier this month. The issue became public on Wednesday when internal emails of Tejpal, Tehelka’s managing editor Shoma Chaudhury and the victim were leaked.

“Tejpal has been charged with rape. I have told the police to take strict action and not come under any pressure whoever may be the culprit,” Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar told HT.

“The charges against Tejpal relate to sections 376 ( rape), 376( 2) ( rape by a person of a woman taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of the IPC,” state police chief Kishan Kumar said.

On the possibility of an arrest, a top Goa police officer told HT, “We are hardly likely to send a team all the way to Delhi just to question him.”

Shortly after the Goa Police followed up its preliminary enquiry with an FIR, Tejpal broke his silence. In a brief statement, he offered his “fullest cooperation” to the police and authorities. He also demanded that CCTV footage of the hotel, where the incident allegedly took place, be released “so that the accurate version of events stands clearly revealed”.

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