Panaji: Tehelka Founder-Editor Tarun Tejpal has got interim relief from arrest in the sexual assault case involving a woman journalist till Saturday 10 am when a Goa court will resume the hearing on his anticipatory bail application.
The interim relief does not, however, allow Tejpal to escape interrogation from Goa Police. Goa DGP Kishan Kumar said that no one has stopped the police from interrogating Tarun Tejpal in the sexual assault case. “We will attempt again to meet him,” Kumar said on Tejpal who landed at Panaji’s Dabolim airport on Friday evening and had to be escorted out under police protection.
A Goa sessions court has adjourned his bail plea hearing till Saturday 10 am but passed some strong comments against him during the argument. Tejpal’s lawyer was forced to apologise after he took the woman journalist’s name during the argument.
The lawyer had also questioned the complainant’s behaviour even after she was allegedly assaulted by Tejpal inside the lift of a hotel in Goa.
“If there is any CCTV footage I will be exonerated. Let us all view the whole CCTV footage. The fest went on for 7,8,9, 10 and 11 and the incident happened on the 7th and the 8th for a few seconds. I want to ask is the lady normal and her conduct normal. We can’t treat whatever she is saying as gospel. Take my version and also her version,” the lawyer argued.
The judge pointed out to the lawyer to keep his arguments to the bail application. “At this stage you cannot go into the conduct of the victim at this stage. We cannot put her in the dock,” said the judge.
Earlier, the Goa Police raided Tejpal’s residence in Delhi on Friday morning but failed to locate him. Goa Police sources also added that they have a very strong case against him and are confident that his bail plea being heard by the sessions court will be rejected. Subsequently, he was taken to Goa by a 2:30 flight.
