Panaji: Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal was today remanded in police custody for six days, a day after being arrested for allegedly sexually assulating a woman colleague. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Shama Joshi passed the order for Tejpal's remand on a plea by the police.
Tejpal, who was arrested at 9 PM yesterday after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected, was brought to court by Goa police crime branch before noon today. He spent the night in a police lock-up here with three persons, including two murder accused.
He was referred for mandatory medical check-up at Goa Medical College near here at 12:30 midnight. The 50-year-old-journalist refused to talk to the media after emerging from the medical college. He was accompanied by his lawyer and his family joined him outside the Police Headquarters, before he was taken to the lock-up at around 2 AM.
Police sources added that he remained calm after his arrest, during medical check-up and also in the lock-up. He was supplied with a new pair of clothes by his family, as allowed by the ourt. The Crime Branch sleuths posted their guards outside the lock-up.
The dingy lock-up is located inside the Police Headquarters in Panaji, overlooking the office of the Director General of Police (DGP). A woman journalist, employed with Tehelka, had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her twice on November 7 and 8 in Goa.
He has been booked under Sections 354A (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 376 (2)(K) (custodial rape) of IPC.
Tejpal's arrest came ten days after it became public that he had allegedly sexually assaulted the woman.
