mangalore today

It was a consensual and healthy flirtatious act, says Tarun Tejpal


mangaloretoday.com

Goa, Dec 4: Even as the Goa Police continues to interrogate Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal at the Crime Branch office at Dona Paula in connection with the sexual assault case against him, the veteran journalist sticks to his earlier statement that "it was a consensual and healthy flirtatious act and the girl that night was elated too".

The 50-year-old journalist is currently in the police lock-up after the local court on Saturday remanded him to six days police custody.

 

Tehelka_tarun


Tejpal was taken by the police on Tuesday morning to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Bambolim near Panaji to reconstruct the scene of the alleged crime. The woman journalist with Tehelka had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her twice on November 7 and 8 in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa last month.

Investigating officer Sunita Sawant confirmed that Tejpal was taken to the crime scene on Tuesday morning, however, she refused to disclose any details stating "the crime is serious and investigation cannot be revealed".

Meanwhile, sources said Tejpal, though cooperating in the investigation, is adamant on his statement that "he is innocent and that the encounter with the young woman reporter was consensual".

"Beyond this he has not spoken anything," sources said. Meeting The court has allowed the lawyers to meet Tejpal on regular basis once in a day. A team on eight lawyers headed by advocate Geeta Luthra is currently in Goa.

When tried to contact, Luthra remained unavailable. The Goa Police is likely to issue summons to Tehelka’s former managing editor Shoma Chaudhury and three other witnesses attached with the magazine to be present in Goa to record their statement before the magistrate.

"The summons would be issued shortly…they all have to be here in a weeks’ time," sources said.

Tejpal was remanded to six days police custody by North Goa Sessions Court on Sunday. He has been booked under Sections 354A (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 376 (2)(K) (custodial rape) of the Indian Penal Code.