Tarun Tejpal gets interim bail from Goa court till 2.30 pm

Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused of sexual assaulting a woman colleague, on Friday got interim bail till 2.30 pm from the sessions court in Panjim, which will pronounce its final order later in the afternoon.

Sessions Judge Anuja Prabhudesai gave Tejpal interim protection from arrest on a bail application moved by his lawyers.

Tejpal's lawyers moved the court for bail after a joint team of Goa and Delhi police went to his residence in South Delhi's Jungpura to arrest him today morning.

But Tejpal was not at home and his family members refused to divulge his whereabouts.

Later, police carried out searches at various other places, including that of his relatives.

Tejpal's lawyer Geeta Luthra told reporters later that he has been given interim bail till 2.30 pm.

Tejpal, the founder-editor of Tehelka magazine, has been accused of sexually assaulting his colleague during an event organised by the magazine at a hotel in Goa earlier in November.

"We moved for anticipatory bail since it is the right of all citizens to have liberty. Even the Supreme Court has said that the liberty of a person should not be interfered with," Luthra said.

She said Tejpal has already sent a letter to Goa police saying he will cooperate with them.

"It is not that we are going away. We will cooperate," she said.

When asked where Tejpal is, she said Tejpal has to be available to the court and police and would come at an appropriate time.

The lawyer said the police have only issued summons and he has to be given reasonable time to present himself before the investigating officer.

A person who does not live in the city needs time to present himself before the authority, she said, and claimed that Tejpal has tried to do everything by the law so far.

"We are saying that the person has to be heard. He will speak to the police and will cooperate with them," she said.

Tejpal's wife Geetan Batra refused to divulge to the police any detail of his whereabouts, police said after they raided his residence.

The police action came after they rejected Tejpal's request for time till Saturday to appear before them.

On Wednesday, Goa police had directed Tejpal to appear before it by 3 pm Thursday. The direction had come after the victim, who has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by him in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa, recorded her statement under Section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate in Panaji.

The controversy also saw the resignation of Shoma Chaudhury as the managing editor of Tehelka, who has been accused of attempting to cover up the matter.

Chaudhury sent her resignation on Thursday as there was speculation that she may also be named in the FIR for certain alleged acts of omission and commission after the scandal became public.

Image: Tarun Tejpal at an event in Delhi ' Photograph Courtesy: http://www.taruntejpal.com/