In another setback to Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected his plea for four weeks’ interim protection against arrest in the case pertaining to sexual assault of a woman journalist.
The court reserved its order on Tejpal’s anticipatory bail petition which was strongly opposed by the Goa Police. The order will now be pronounced by Justice Sunita Gupta on November 29. While alleging that there were embellishments in the FIR, Tejpal said the version of the complainant needed to be taken with a “pinch of salt.”
“I am man enough to own up my mistakes,” said senior advocate KTS Tulsi, appearing for Tejpal. However, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Goa Police, said:”There is no question of consent. This incident happened. This offence shows the depravity of a man who had control over the victim.” Besides anticipatory bail, Tejpal had also sought interim protection against arrest for a period of four weeks.
During the hearing, Tulsi submitted that the plea for anticipatory bail be treated as a protection from arrest for four weeks. He said he was seeking temporary protection from arrest till he reaches the competent court. He argued that the police, in order to harass and humiliate Tejpal, has neither filed a status report nor told him about the status of the CCTV footage.
“let them give the CCTV footage to the court. The truth must not be obfuscated to serve political purposes. That is not the role of the police,” the counsel said. “Registration of FIR under Section 376 of IPC is a complete abuse of power by the police at the behest of political masters,” he said. The Goa Police have registered the FIR against Tejpal for allegedly sexually assaulting his junior colleague on November 7 and 8 at a five-star hotel in Panaji. Earlier, the court had issued notice to the Goa Police and rejected Tejpal’s plea for grant of interim protection against arrest.
Tejpal, in his bail plea, had denied the allegation and accused Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of taking undue interest in the case. Tejpal has claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case at the behest of the BJP. He alleged that the BJP has “unleashed the wrath of its vengeance upon him in the garb of the present FIR.”