Tejpal remanded to 12-day judicial custody
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 11 December 2013 12:11 IST
Tarun Tejpal, rape accused and founder editor of Tehelka, has been remanded to 12-day judicial custody.
He was produced before the Panaji JMFC today as his extended remand to police custody has expired.
The court has ordered to provide a separate prison cell to him, on the grounds of security, initially for two days.
A final decision regarding separate cell for security purpose would be taken on 13 December, when Tejpal would be once again produced in the court.
He was arrested on 30 November, after the Panaji district and sessions court has rejected his anticipatory bail.
After initially remanded him to six-day police custody, Tejpal’s remand was later extended by four more days.
A junior colleague working with Tehelka had complained to Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury that Tejpal had sexually assaulted her on 7 and 8 November, during THiNK Fest organised by the national news weekly in Goa.
He has been charged with rape, rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position, committing persistent sexual assault and outraging modesty.
During investigations, the crime branch of Goa police had added two more charges of wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement.
His potency test has been proved positive, though the police could not get visual proof of his sexual attack as the elevators in the Grand Hyatt do not have CCTVs installed inside the lifts.
The CCTV footage outside the lift however corroborates with what the victim girl has deposed before the court.
The crime branch has also recorded statements, in the court, of the victim girl’s three male colleagues whom she narrated two ugly incidents while Chaudhury has also deposed before the court.
