Student activists burn a photograph of Tejpal outside the magazine's office. PHOTO: AFP
Tarun Tejpal, the founder and editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, landed in Goa state on Friday, promising to appear in court where he faces a possible rape charge that could see him jailed for 10 years.
In court in Panaji, a judge granted him ‘relief from arrest’ until at least 10am on Saturday when hearings will resume, contradicting Indian media reports that he had been detained already. His lawyer Geeta Luthra, addressing the judge in court, promised that the 50-year-old would appear in court personally on Saturday.
A subordinate has accused Tejpal of molesting her twice in a hotel elevator in Goa during a magazine-sponsored event earlier this month. She has deposed before a magistrate and police have opened a case.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said in a statement to media groups on Friday that she was fighting to preserve her ‘integrity’.
“Unlike Tejpal, who is fighting to protect his wealth, his influence and his privilege, I am fighting to preserve nothing except for my integrity and my right to assert that my body is my own and not the plaything of my employer,” she said.
Tejpal, also a famed novelist, has denied rape and said their encounter was consensual.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2013.
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