A Fast Track Court in the city on Wednesday granted permission to Tarun Tejpal, accused in the female journalist sexual assault case, to leave Goa to stay in national capital region till June 26 based on his affidavit with full residential address and itinerary and with four conditions imposed on him.
The conditions mandate that the accused will not make any attempt, direct or indirect to temper or influence or even remotely threaten persons cited in as witnesses in the investigation and with regard to victim. That he shall make no attempts to address the media and other persons with regard to the subject matter of the case. That the accused shall report to the police station within whose jurisdiction he proposes to reside, at the time of arrival and departure and shall also inform the Police Inspector in-charge if ever he proposes to move out of its jurisdiction. That the passport of the accused should continue to be in the custody of the Fast Track Court.
Earlier, during the hearing of the application, Mr. Tejpal's lawyer sought to oppose the condition that he be prohibited from addressing media saying it was in no way related to the application seeking permission to leave Goa and was curtailing of constitutional liberty of the accused.
In his application moved before the Court following Supreme Court's extension of his interim bail till June 27, Tejpal had pleaded that he has to be in the national capital region till June 26 for completing of religious 'pooja' and to be with members of his bereaved family (following the death of his mother).
Judge Vijaya Pol of the Fast Track Court on Wednesday heard prosecution and defendants on an application earlier moved by prosecution under Section 173(8) of Criminal Procedure Code seeking permission of the Court to conduct supplementary investigation and file a supplementary charge sheet in the Tejpal sexual assault case, and posted the case for order on June 17.
Mr. Tejpal, co-founder of Tehelka has been accused of sexual assault on his female junior journalist colleague during the annual ThinkFest event of the magazine held in a five star hotel in north Goa in early November last year. The Goa police, investigating the case have filed a charge sheet against him on February 17 accusing him of rape and other charges. He was arrested by Goa police on November 30 and had been in Judicial Custody since then till the Supreme Court allowed him an interim bail to do the final rites of his deceased mother.
