Panaji: Tehelka Founder-Editor Tarun Tejpal's plea for access to the CCTV footage of the hotel has been accepted by the Goa Court. The application was not contested by the prosecution.
Both the defence and the prosecution will be given the tapes by Wednesday evening. Tejpal had alleged that there is political vendetta against him and that the police were deliberately withholding the tapes.
"In a blatant attempt at twisting and concealing the facts, the Goa police while filing a 3000 page highly spurious charge sheet, has not presented or handed over the most crucial piece of evidence in this case, the CCTV footage of the incident," Tejpal had said in a statement on Tuesday.
Tejpal got no relief from custody as his bail plea has been adjourned till March 4. Tejpal was on Monday charged with rape by the Goa Police. He has also been slapped with charges of sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman. Police reportedly filed the chargesheet before Principal Additional Sessions Court judge Anuja Prabhudesai on Monday.
The chargesheet filed against Tejpal said in the chargesheet that sufficient evidence were there on record to show that Tejpal had evaded arrest following the complaint. If proven guilty, Tejpal can be sentenced for more than seven years of imprisonment on these charges.
Investigating officer Sunita Sawant has charged Tejpal under sections 354, 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 and 342 (wrongful restrain), 376 (rape), 376(2)(f) and 376 (2)(k) (takes advantage of his official position and commits rape on a woman in his custody).
The 2,684-page chargesheet filed before Chief Judicial Magistrate Anuja Prabhudesai, after examining 152 witnesses including the victim, staff of Tehelka magazine and the investigating officer in the case.
The investigating officer noted that there are incriminating emails in this regard containing his apology, email letters to the victim regarding rape, sexual harassment, and outraging her modesty which were retrieved at his instance.
As per the complaint, the victim was reportedly sexually assaulted by Tejpal on November 7 and the offence was repeated on November 8.
Goa Police has claimed in the chargesheet that there is sufficient evidence available in the form of documents and statements on record to show that Tejpal had been evading police after commission of crime.
Tejpal, 50, was arrested on November 30 last year and has since been lodged in Sada sub jail in Vasco town, about 40 kms from Panaji.
(With additional information from PTI)
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