Court grants permission to Tejpal to visit ailing mother

Tehelka founder editor Tarun Tejpal, lodged in jail for allegedly raping a junior woman colleague, was today granted permission by a court here to meet his ailing mother, who is admitted in a hospital at Mapusa town.

Additional district and sessions court allowed Tejpal to meet his mother, who is suffering from brain tumour and admitted in the ICU of a hospital in Mapusa, about 50 kms from Sada sub jail, where he is currently lodged.

Tejpal's lawyer Swapnil Nachinolkar said the jail escort cell has been ordered to take the 50-year-old journalist to his mother.

The application moved by Tejpal before the court had yesterday said that his mother, Shankuntala Tejpal, has been suffering from brain tumour and is in her last stage of life.

Nachinolkar said that Tejpal is likely to be escorted to the hospital tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, the order on the bail petition filed by Tejpal before the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court would be pronounced this afternoon.

Tejpal is accused of raping a junior woman colleague during a Tehelka magazine's event at a Goa hotel in November last year.