Tejpal faces arrest after being booked on rape charge

Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal today faced possible arrest after Goa police booked him on rape charge following an allegation by a journalist colleague that he sexually assaulted her during an event a fortnight ago.

A special investigating team of the Crime Branch police will be in Delhi for questioning Tejpal and police are not ruling out arrest.

"An FIR has been filed on charges of rape and outraging of modesty (against Tejpal). This is one part of the process of investigation and law will take its course," DGP Kishan Kumar said in Panaji.

The charges relate to Sections 376 (rape), 376 (2) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC, he said.

Asked whether Tejpal would be arrested, the DGP said, "As I told you this is a matter of investigation. Let us leave it to Investigating Officers. It is a process under law which has logical consequences. I cannot say how the IO will do."

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar made it clear that his government will show "no tolerance for this type of crime and we should crackdown on such high-profile crimes".

He said Goa police has not received any response from Tehelka to the letter sent to it seeking details of the alleged incident.

"I am not saying someone is guilty but the girl's email (to her office) is explicit," he said and commended her for showing courage to report the incident.

While Tejpal issued a statement offering to extend the "fullest cooperation" to the police and all other authorities, the magazine's Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury said they would not go to police on the issue as it was for the victim to decide on it.