Tehelka sexual assault case - Tarun Tejpal remanded in 6-day police custody, grilling begins

DNA, New Delhi, 1 December 2013: Latest updates: 

* Tarun Tejpal remanded in police custody for six days by Goa court. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Shama Joshi passes the order for Tejpal's remand on police's plea. 

* Tarun Tejpal's 'political conspiracy' defence missing in court. 

* Tarun Tejpal brought to court in Panaji by Goa police crime branch for remand. Lawyers for Tejpal before entering court said police may ask for 14-day custody and they will oppose it. Media stopped outside court. 

* Tejpal to appear in court on Sunday. 

* Tarun Tejpal taken for medical check up.
* Rejecting Tarun Tejpal's anticipatory bail plea, a local court held today that the material on record prima facie indicate that he is involved in committing acts which constitute offences of custodial rape and outraging the modesty of the woman. "The statement of the victim and the documents in the form of emails etc., details of which need not be reproduced here, prima facie indicate that the applicant, who was her mentor and father figure, had not only outraged her modesty but had misused his position, betrayed her trust and violated her body," District and Sessions Anuja Prabhudesai observed in her 25-page order. 

* Tarun Tejpal's interim bail plea rejected. Sessions Judge passes the order after hearing both defence and prosecution arguments. Tejpal likely to be arrested from Dona Paula crime branch office. The order was pronounced by North Goa District and Sessions judge Anuja Prabhudessai. Goa police have filed an FIR slapping charges of rape, custodial rape and outraging the modesty of a woman journalist of Tehelka. If convicted, Tejpal faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life sentence in jail. 

* Tejpal arrives at the Crime Branch * Goa police at Sessions Court, ahead of order on Tejpal's bail plea. 

* Complaint to police over Tehelka journalist's name leak. 

* Vilification of woman journalist unfortunate: Omar Abdullah on Tehelka. 

* BJP 'settling scores' with Tarun Tejpal, says Union minister Eduardo Faleiro. 

* Tarun Tejpal and his family leave court separately. Protestor throws black cloth on vehicle of Tarun Tejpal. Cops nab the man, who was unarmed. 

* Hearing adjourned till 4.30 pm on Saturday. 

* Bail hearing begins at Goa sessions court. Prosecution seeks 14-day custody of Tejpal. Defence in argument says police didn't communicate, held press conference instead. Defence says arrest should be the last option in this case. 

* Tarun Tejpal's legal team reaches sessions court. 

* Goa police reach sessions court ahead of Tejpal's bail hearing. 

* Tehelka editor leaves crime branch, says, "I was asked to join the investigation and I have already done so." Hearing of bail plea to begin shortly. 

* Tejpal reaches crime branch in Goa as deadline set to expire at 10 am. 

* NCW member Shamina Shafiq accuses BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi of irresponsible behaviour for naming victim. 

* BJP not politicising Tehelka sexual assault case, says BJP leader Kirti Azad.

Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a woman colleague, was on Sunday sent to police remand for six days following which Crime Branch officials began grilling him.
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Shama Joshi ordered six days' police custody of Tejpal after the prosecution sought his remand for 14 days.
Public prosecutor Frances Tavera sought police custody of Tejpal saying his custodial interrogation was needed because of the nature of the crime involved.
Tejpal's lawyers opposed the demand for police custody saying he was cooperating with the Crime Branch.
A woman journalist employed with Tehelka had accused its editor Tejpal of sexually assaulting her twice on November 7 and 8 in a lift in a five star hotel in Goa. He has been booked under Sections 354A (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 376 (2)(K) (custodial rape) of IPC.
Tejpal, who was arrested at 9 PM yesterday after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a District and Sessions, was brought to court by Goa police crime branch before noon today.
In her 25-page order, District and Sessions Anuja Prabhudesai has yesterday observed that, "The statement of the victim and the documents in the form of emails etc., details of which need not be reproduced here, prima facie indicate that the applicant, who was her mentor and father figure, had not only outraged her modesty but had misused his position, betrayed her trust and violated her body." The judge had said the applicant is not only an influential person but the record prima facie indicates that the applicant tried to influence the family of the victim and the possibility of the applicant interfering with the evidence cannot be ruled out.
Immediately after the magistrate's order today, Tejpal was taken to the Crime Branch headquarters at Dona Paula for interrogation.
Police sources said that serious interrogation of Tejpal began only today.
Earlier, Tejpal spent the night in a police lock-up here with three persons, including two murder accused. He was referred for mandatory medical check-up at Goa Medical College near here at 12:30 midnight.
The 50-year-old-journalist refused to talk to the media after emerging from the medical college. He was accompanied by his lawyer and his family joined him outside the police headquarters, before he was taken to the lock-up at around 2 AM.
Police sources added that he remained calm after his arrest, during medical check-up and also in the lock-up.
He was supplied with a new pair of clothes by his family, as allowed by the court.
The Crime Branch sleuths posted their guards outside the lock-up.
The dingy lock-up is located inside the Police Headquarters in Panaji, overlooking the office of the Director General of Police (DGP).
Tejpal's arrest came ten days after it became public that he had allegedly sexually assaulted the woman.