Goa Police may seek extension of Tejpal’s remand

Panaji – Goa Police could seek another week’s remand for Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, who was arrested last week on charges of sexually assaulting a junior colleague here last month.

Police sources said that Tejpal, whose six-day remand period expires Friday, needed to be confronted and questioned after the statements of the three witnesses and former Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury were recorded by the police.

“We still haven’t been able to record a formal admission of crime from Tejpal. He keeps insisting the act was consented to by the victim,” police said.

Tejpal has been accused of allegedly raping a journalist in the elevator of a five star resort in Goa last month. While the woman journalist has complained of rape, the accused Tejpal claims the act was consensual. The victim has since quit the magazine.

Apart from seeking custody of Tejpal, police later this week are also expected to record the statement of Chaudhury and three other journalis! ts Shougat Dasgupta, G Vishnu and Ishan Tankha, who the woman journalis! t had confided in after the alleged sexual assault by Tejpal.

Tejpal was arrested last week amid high drama and was remanded to six days in police custody by a local court.