New Delhi/Panaji: 7:20 pm:Tehelka Founder-Editor Tarun Tejpal reaches Goa crime branch office.
6:12 pm: The Goa DGP said that no one has stopped the police from Tarun Tejpal in the sexual assault case. "We will attempt again to meet him," he said.
6:05 pm: In a major relief to Tarun Tejpal in the sexual assault case against him, the Goa sessions court extended interim protection to him till Saturday morning. The arguments will resume at 10 am on Saturday.
5:32 pm: Tarun Tejpal, his family members and lawyers were taken out of the plane and airport under police protection. A group of BJP workers protested outside Goa airport with black flags.
5:26 pm Goa Police officials said that the interim relief for Tarun Tejpal was till 2:30 pm. They added that Tarun Tejpal will be be taken straight to the court.
5:15pm Plane with Tarun Tejpal on board has landed at Goa's Dabolim airport.
5:05 pm: Tarun Tejpal's lawyer told the court: "If there is any CCTV footage I will be exonerated. Let us all view the whole CCTV footage. The fest went on for 7,8,9, 10 and 11 and the incident happened on the 7th and the 8th for a few seconds. I want to ask is the lady normal and her conduct normal. We can't treat whatever she is saying as gospel. Take my version and also her version.
The judge replied: "You can not go into the conduct of the victim at this stage. We cannot put her in the dock."
4:58 pm: Tarun Tejpal is expected to land at the Goa airport anytime now. Security has been tightened at the airport. Goa Sessions court is currently hearing the anticipatory bail plea. During the hearing, the Judge dismissed Tejpal lawyer's plea that former Tehelka editor has a lot of enemies. "What has that got to do with the complaint in question," asked the Judge
4:30 pm: The anticipatory bail application hearing of Tarun Tejpal is currently underway in a Session court in Goa. Tejpal's lawyer has told the court that he is carrying the personal surety of Rs 30,000 for the interim protection himself. The lawyer also said that Tejpal is not evading the law. "Everything we came to know only through media reports. I have always maintained that I will join the investigation," he said.
3:45 pm: The prosecution during the bail plea hearing, has given a written response to the defence in the case stating that Tejpal's custodial interrogation is required and also that Tejpal is trying to evade interrogation.
2:01 pm: Tejpal is accompanied on the flight by close family members including his wife, sister, daughter and brother.
1:50 pm: Tarun Tejpal said that he is not running away and is willingly going to join the investigations and put his point of view in the case. He is being accompanied by Goa Police officials. Delhi police and CISF teams are also present to give him security at the airport.
1:03 pm: Tarun Tejpal has reached the Delhi airport. Police have said that they will arrest him on arrival in Goa. Tejpal said, "I got the summons yesterday. I said I am going to Goa."
1:00 pm: In a fresh statement issued by the complainant, she stated that she is "deeply concerned and very disturbed by insinuations that the complaint is part of a pre-election political conspiracy."
"Some have questioned the time it took for me to file my complaint, more inquisitive commentators have questioned the use of the word "sexual molestation" versus words like "rape."Perhaps the hardest part of this unrelentingly painful experience has been my struggle with taxonomy. What Mr. Tejpal did to me falls within the legal definition of rape."
"I call upon our political parties to resist the temptation to turn a very important discussion about gender, power and violence into a conversation about themselves. Unlike Mr. Tejpal, I am not a person of immense means. I have been raised single-handedly by my mother's single income.
12:01 pm: Reacting on the controversy, Minister of State for Home RPN Singh said that such issues should not be politicised. "Law and order is a state subject. There is no need to politicise this issue. No matter what offence is committed be it snooping, stalking or outraging the modesty of a woman, action will be taken," he said.
11:36 am: Sources now say that Tarun Tejpal is taking a 2.30 pm flight to Goa from Delhi. While SpiceJet officials say his name is not in the passenger list for the day, IndiGo has cited privacy and has refused to divulge details.
11:25 am: Tarun Tejpal's lawyer reiterated that he is ready to cooperate with the police in its investigations and asked for reasonable time for him to reach Goa.
11:13 am: Hearing of Tarun Tejpal's anticipatory bail plea in Goa sessions court has been adjourned till 2:30 pm. Tejpal's lawyer said that they have got an interim relief at a personal bond of Rs 20,000. His lawyer also expressed confidence of getting the bail in the court.
11:00 am: Hearing on Tejpal's anticipatory bail plea is expected to begin any time now. If his bail plea is rejected, he has an option to appeal in a higher court. He also has an option to surrender himself before the court or before the police.
10:45 am: Sources close to Tejpal claim that he is not a fugitive and that he has taken a flight to Goa on Friday morning.
10:42 am: Goa Police sources say that they have a very strong case against Tejpal and are confident that his bail will be rejected and they will be able to arrest him.
10:41 am: Border checkposts and railways stations have been put on alert to arrest Tejpal.
10:35 am : Even if the court grants him bail, the police can still go ahead with the interrogation.
10:30 am: Tarun Tejpal has applied for anticipatory bail in the sessions court in Panaji, Goa.
10:15 am: Eminent lawyer Abha Singh says Tejpal should be declared an absconder at the earliest. "Tarun Tejpal should be declared absconder, any person harbouring him should also be made an accused," she said.
10:05 am: Sources say that Tarun Tejpal's legal team is likely to approach Bombay HC in Mumbai or Goa for last minute relief.
9:45 am: NCW member in-charge of Goa Shamina Shafiq said Tejpal needs to come out to reveal his version. "To put his side of story, its important for Tarun Tejpal to come out," she said.
8:36 am: Goa Police has said that arresting Tejpal is the only option left. It also added that they can declare Tejpal an absconder and also attach his properties if they do not get any information on his whereabouts.
8:35 am: Police have said that they cannot wait for Tejpal to join the probe at his convenience.
The joint team of Goa and Delhi crime branch raided Tehelka Founder-Editor Tarun Tejpal's residence in Delhi early on Friday morning to arrest him. This after a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him in the sexual assault case.
There have been conflicting reports of whether he has left for Goa or whether he is already in Goa. However, there is no clarity so far on where he currently is. According to Goa police sources, Tarun Tejpal's wife, Geetan Tejpal has refused to reveal his whereabouts.
The Goa Police reached Tejpal's residence in Delhi at 6:20 am. The team spent an hour and twenty minutes inside his home. It spoke to his relatives and conducted a raid. The team then left Tejpal's residence without him for Goa Sadan at 7:40 am. Tejpal's whereabouts remain unknown. The police are likely to raid his residence also.
Meanwhile, Tejpal through his lawyers had on Thursday sent a fax stating that he will join the investigations on Friday. His earlier request for time till Saturday was rejected by the police. Tejpal on Thursday also withdrew his anticipatory bail application in the Delhi High Court. Tejpal told the court he will move an appropriate court for relief.
The Tejpal sexual assault case has been witnessing dramatic developments with Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhary resigning on Thursday. Shoma has been accused of going soft on Tejpal and not standing by the woman journalist who had accused him of sexually assaulting her. In her resignation that she sent in an email saying that it has been a damaging time for all associates in Tehelka.
She rejected the cover-up allegations against her saying, "While I accept that I could have done many things differently and in a more measured way, I reject the allegations of a cover-up because in no way could the first actions that were taken be deemed suppression of any kind. As for my feminist positions, I believe I acted in consonance with them by giving my colleague's account precedence over everything else."
Tejpal, who had applied for an anticipatory bail in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, withdrew his application stating that he will file it in the respective court meaning one which had jurisdiction over Goa. Tejpal also found himself cornered over a request seeking more time to appear for questioning before the Goa Police.
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