Panaji: Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal was on Saturday night arrested by Goa police after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail plea holding that prima facie he was involved in acts which constitute custodial rape and outraging of the modesty of his woman colleague. The arrest of 50-year-old Tejpal came ten days after it became public that he had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman journalist colleague during an event here early this month. "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.
The court also rejected the defence contention that the case against Tejpal was politically motivated or that anti-rape laws were "draconian". Tejpal's cat-and-mouse game with the police ended 90 minutes after District and Sessions Judge Anuja Prabhudesai rejected his anticipatory bail plea which was argued for the last two days and strongly opposed by the prosecution. The 50-year-old Tehelka founder was formally taken into custody at the Crime Branch headquarters in Dona Paula where Tejpal, along with his family, was waiting for the delayed court order for three and half hours from 4.30 pm.
Tejpal's wife, daughter, brother and his friend Sanjay Roy came out of the police outpost once he was placed under arrest. He will be taken for mandatory medical test. Known for investigative journalism through sting operations, Tejpal dodged a combined team of Goa and Delhi police which had raided his house in Delhi at the crack of dawn yesterday. He landed in Goa only after the Sessions Judge gave him interim protection against arrest order till her final order. The whole episode came to light on November 20 with Tejpal accepting "misconduct" against the journalist and offered to rescue himself from the post and the office for six months.
