Tejpal’s defence lawyers have sought to discredit the victim telling the Bombay High Court at Goa, saying the ‘character of the female victim was not beyond suspension’.
The defence lawyer told the court, which was hearing the bail plea filed by Tarun Tejpal, who is now in jail for over three months for allegedly raping a junior colleague in his custody, that there was evidence to show that “the victim was in the room of the guest Robert De Niro for about one and half hour” at night.
“He (defence lawyer) submitted that there is evidence to show that the victim was in the room of the guest Mr. Robert De Niro for about one and half hour in the night time,” High Court Justice Utkarsh Bakre has noted while placing both arguments in his order denying bail to the 50-year-old journalist.
Bakre also did not hide the fact that the prosecution has stopped attempts made by the defence to produce messages exchanged on WhatsApp between the victim, Tejpal’s daughter and another friend, which according to the defence tended to “disclose relationship between the victim girl and the guest named ‘Bob’, who appears to be Robert De Niro.”
A junior colleague, who was in charge of chaperoning Robert de Niro, had accused Tejpal of rape in a lift during ThinkFest, a high profile conference organised by Tehelka founder in Goa on November 7 and 8, last year.
Tejpal is presently lodged in Sada sub jail located in Vasco, 35 kms from here.
Tejpal’s phone call record led to denial of his bail plea
The cell phone and SIM card found in Tarun Tejpal’s possession as well as the visits of his daughter to the victim may have tipped the scales of justice against his favour.
The judgement which denied bail to the incarcerated former editor-in-chief of Tehelka, used the two instances among others to deny him bail.
“There is evidence on record, in this regard of the applicant talking on mobile to somebody from Gurgaon and New Delhi. A mobile has been attached from the possession of the applicant,” Justice Utkarsh Bakre said in his order, which now extends the custody of his time behind bars indefinitely.
The Judge also said that the fact that Tejpal would flee or that he would tamper with evidence could not be ruled out. Tejpal’s who faces as many as 10-years behind bars if convicted under the offences he is charged with, has already spent more than three months behind bars as the Goa Police have charged him under the new rape law.
One of the reasons cited by Tejpal’s defence was the need to be beside his ailing mother.