HC rejects Tejpal’s plea for interim protection from arrest

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant interim relief in the anticipatory bail plea of Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal in a sexual assault case. The court posted the case to November 29 for orders.

With the court refusing to grant relief, Tejpal faces chances of getting arrested. Tejpal’s whereabouts are not known. Soon after the hearing, the Goa police issued summons on Tejpal, giving him a deadline till 3 PM on Thursday to appear before it.

Also read – Tejpal case sparks BJP-Cong war
Talking to reporters after the hearing, Tejpal’s advocate made it clear that Tejpal has not gone ‘underground’ and that they will go to Goa for the case.

During the hearing, Goa’s counsel had argued that the mails sent by Tarun Tejpal make it an ‘open and shut case’.

Earlier, the court had issued notice to the Goa police for today and rejected the plea of Tejpal for grant of interim protection against arrest. The Tehelka Editor, in his bail plea, had denied the allegation and accused Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of taking undue interest in the case.

But in Panjim, Goa Chief Minister denied any bias against Tejpal and said the law will take its own course. He rubbished the charge of Tejpal that the case has the backing of the BJP. “He has admitted to the act and suddenly he is accusing the BJP. This may be due to the advice he gets from Congress leaders”, he said.

Tejpal had claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case at the behest of BJP. He has alleged that BJP has “unleashed the wrath of its vengeance upon him in the garb of the present FIR”. His bail plea was opposed by both the Goa and Delhi police. The judge had yesterday sought reply of the Goa police on the scribe’s plea whose application for transit bail was opposed by the Delhi police.

The Goa police has registered the FIR against Tejpal for allegedly sexually assaulting his junior on November 7 and 8 at a hotel in Panaji. The alleged incident happened in a lift in a five-star and the victim yesterday recorded her statement before the Goa police in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Shoma Chaudhury, Managing Editor of Tehelka denied that she was involved in any cover-up operations. “ I strongly reject the allegations in the media that I am involved in any manner with any slander, intimidation or character assassination of the complainant journalist. This is a malicious campaign that has no basis in truth,” she said in a statement.