Mumbai: Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Sunday said that the Centre cannot interfere in the sexual assault case against Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal.
Replying to a question on whether Tejpal’s arrest came after much delay, Shinde, who was here to attend a function, said, “Our government does not protect culprits in any way. Since it (Tejpal’s) is a case of a different state, the Centre cannot interfere in it.”
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. Tejpal’s lawyers opposed the demand for police custody saying he was cooperating with the Crime Branch.
Immediately after the magistrate’s order on Monday, Tejpal was taken to the Crime Branch headquarters at Dona Paula for interrogation. Meanwhile, BJP questioned the “conspicuous silence” of some leaders on the sexual assault of a journalist by Tarun Tejpal, saying they were very vocal on the Delhi gangrape issue last year but are not speaking out now.
Arun Jaitley said on his Facebook page that Tejpal’'s assault of a young journalist has led to an outrage similar to the one seen when the “inhuman and brutal rape and murder” in Delhi on December 16 last year.
Next: Cops get 6 days to grill Tejpal
Cops get 6 days to grill Tejpal
Panaji: The police on Sunday got a six-day custody of Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a woman colleague, after which Crime Branch officials grilled him for over five hours.
Judicial Magistrate Shama Joshi ordered six-day police custody for Tejpal after the prosecution sought his remand for 14 days. Once they got him in their custody, Crime Branch officials took the Tehelka founder to their headquarters in Dona Paula and began questioning him on the sexual assault, allegedly committed by him on his colleague in a hotel lift twice early last month.
The questioning was over around 8 pm and he was taken back to the lock-up, police sources said. The interrogation will resume on Monday.
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 has accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her twice on November 7 and 8 in the lift of 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 on Saturday after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a District and Sessions Judge Anuja PrabhudÂesai, was brought to the magistrate's court by Goa police crime branch before noon on Sunday.
In her 25-page order, Justice Prabhudesai obsÂeÂrÂved on Saturday, “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 vioÂlated her body.”
Next: Tarun spends night in lock-up with murder accused
Tarun spends night in lock-up with murder accused
Panaji: Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal spent the night at a police lock-up here with two murder accused and an anti-social person, after he was arrested by the Crime Branch.
Tejpal, who was arrested in a sexual assault case, was referred for mandatory medical check-up at Goa Medical College near here at 12.30 am on Sunday. He was taken to Panaji police lock-up around 2 am, after his medical check-up.
Police sources said that Tejpal shared the lock-up with three more people, including two accused of murder and one arrested under preventive action.
The Crime Branch sleuths had posted their guards outside the lock-up. The dingy lock-up is located inside the Police HeadquÂarters in Panaji, overlooking the office of the Director General of Police (DGP).
Police sources added that he remained calm after his arrest, during medical check-up and also in the lock-up.
