The Goa police crime branch booked Tejpal for rape and criminal assault, acting suo motu on the basis of the hotel’s CCTV footage and a leaked copy of a complaint filed by the victim to Shoma Chaudhury, the managing editor of Tehelka. A team of Goa police will arrive in Delhi on Saturday to interrogate Tejpal and Chaudhury. ‘We should crack down on such type of high profile crimes which shatter the confidence of the common man. Crime is a crime. You go after the culprit,’ said Goa CM Parrikar.
‘The home ministry has asked for all details of Tehelka case from the Goa government. This is an extremely serious matter,’ minister of state for home RPN Singh said on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Tejpal broke his three-day silence on the matter and said ‘serious allegations’ have been levelled against him. ‘I urge the committee and the police to obtain, examine and release the CCTV footage so that the accurate version of events stand clearly revealed,’ he said.
Demanding a criminal trial against Tejpal, BJP leader Arun Jaitley asserted that a departmental inquiry and criminal trial must go together. He said suggestions that the victim had the choice of refraining from pursuing a criminal investigation were akin to offering the offender an escape route. The National Commission for Women also swung into action and directed the news magazine to provide, within 24 hours, all details regarding the alleged sexual assault case.
According to Goa director general of police (DGP) Kishen Kumar, a special team has been appointed to probe the case and a unit was on standby to fly to New Delhi to record the statement of the victim. Police sources say that efforts were being made to convince the victim to agree to give a formal statement to the police. Shoma Chaudhury has denied any cover-up allegations or delay in taking action.