A Goa police team, probing the charges of sexual assault against the former Tehelka Editor-in-Chief, Tarun Tejpal, went back on Sunday after recording the statements of Shoma Chaudhary, Managing Editor of the publication, and three other journalists to whom the victim had narrated the incident.
The investigators plan to question Mr. Tejpal once they record the victim’s statement and evaluate all evidence.
The team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sammy Tavares and investigating officer Inspector Sunita Sawant, boarded a Goa-bound flight in the afternoon. The team took along with it hard disks, a laptop and an iPad used for communication with the victim and Mr. Tejpal after the incident was reported to Ms. Chaudhary.
On Saturday, the Goa police team, accompanied by its counterparts from Delhi, video-recorded Ms. Chaudhary’s statement. She was questioned for almost nine hours. “Investigations are under way to ascertain why she did not report the matter immediately for registration of a case,” said a police officer, adding communication between Ms. Chaudhary, Mr. Tejpal and the victim, through e-mails and mobile phones, soon after the incident would form part of the evidence that the police would rely on.
In her statement to the media, Ms. Chaudhary expressed satisfaction with the entire proceedings, reiterating that she was extending full cooperation in the probe. While the Goa police said they would question Mr. Tejpal only when they had sufficient evidence to confront him and corroborate their findings, the former Tehelka Editor-in-Chief is in touch with his lawyers.
Meanwhile, in Panaji, DGP O.P. Mishra said on Sunday that additional charges of criminal intimidation could be slapped on Mr. Tejpal. “Many things have emerged from the interrogation of Tehelka employees.”
The police warned of action against anyone posting details of the victim on social networking sites.
