Tejpal moves Delhi HC for anticipatory bail

The Goa police had lodged an FIR against Tejpal under sections 376 (rape), 376 (2)

Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal on Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a sexual assault case lodged against him in Goa.

Justice G S Sistani, before whom the petition was mentioned by senior advocates K T S Tulsi and Geeta Luthra, will hear the matter on Tuesday.

Tejpal, in his petition filed through advocate Sandeep Kapur, has also sought transit bail to approach the appropriate court in Goa. The alleged incident happened in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa earlier this month.

The Goa police had on Friday lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Tejpal under sections 376 (rape), 376 (2)(k) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the incident.

The issue came to light when an email by the woman journalist of Tehelka magazine alleging sexual assault was made public and Tejpal announced on November 19 that he was "recusing" himself from his job for six months.

On Sunday, a three-member Goa police team, which had arrived in Delhi on Saturday, quizzed Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury and three employees who had been contacted by the alleged victim — who has resigned from the magazine to be "free from any kind of pressure" as its employee — to corroborate her version.

The police also seized from the Tehelka office a hard disc, transcripts of emails exchanged among Tejpal, Chaudhury and the girl and other documents.