Tejpal shares lock-up with poachers

From two murder accused he shared the room on the first night in the police lock-up, arrested Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal had four local men held on charges of poaching frogs and turtles as his cell mates on the second night.

The 50-year-old journalist, who is on six-day police custody, is lodged in the Panaji police lock up housed in an old Portuguese era building.

A narrow access through a tunnel leads to three cells- two for men and one for women. Tejpal is in a cell which is around 8 feet by 4 feet and five metres high and has an Indian toilet facility behind a small wall, just enough to cover the person who is using it.

"Tejpal looked tired and tense due to sleeplessness and may be due to intense questioning. His face looked a little swollen and eyes red," police sources said.

His family members came this morning along with Crime Branch officials. "He was given Goan pav bhaji by the family members. Before that he had tea which is served for the inmates by police," the sources stated.

"Tejpal did tried to a strike conversation with the four inmates last night when he was brought to the lock up by the crime branch after interrogation.

"But the all the four accused - Damian Colaco, Natalo Fernandes, Lorence Colaco and Santan Colaco- facing charges of of poaching frogs and turles, did not respond as they don't understand Hindi," the sources said.