The Superintendent of Sada Sub-Jail, south Goa, on Monday partially lifted the curbs imposed on Tehelka co-founder Tarun Tejpal, presently in judicial custody, as regards the facilities extended to him in jail.
The 50-year-old journalist is behind bars since November 30 on charges of rape and sexual assault of a junior journalist in a north Goa hotel during the ThinkFest event of the magazine in November last year.
Tejpal has been allowed to use STD telephone service at the jail. The facility has been restored based on his written request, to contact his lawyers who are not based in Goa.
The facilities extended to Tejpal and two others were withdrawn after they were found in possession of mobile phones during a surprise check on February 26.
Tejpal’s bail plea will come up for hearing, in camera, on Wednesday before a single-member Bench of Justice U. V. Bakre of the Bombay High Court in Goa.
On Tuesday, a District and Sessions Court in south Goa adjourned till March 20 an anticipatory bail application filed by Tejpal after the Mormugao police registered a case following seizure of cell phones from him and others.
