Goa Police closing in on Tejpal; calls him tomorrow for probe

Panaji, Nov 27: Closing in on

, who failed to get any immediate relief on his anticipatory bail petition in the Delhi High Court, the

Police on Wednesday summoned him to appear before it by 3 pm on Thursday in the probe into the sexual assault allegation against him.

The Goa Police decision raises the possibility of Tejpal's arrest but DIG of Police O P Mishra refused to discuss their strategy if he does not turn up before the Investigating Officer.

The police may issue a non-bailable warrant against Tejpal if he does not appear before the IO or prolong the questioning till Delhi High Court comes out with its order on his anticipatory bail plea on Friday, experts say.

Tejpal failed to get any relief on his anticipatory bail petition

"The Investigating Officer is summoning the person (Tarun Tejpal) involved in it (case) asking him to appear before the IO by around 3 pm tomorrow," Mishra told reporters shortly after the Delhi High Court reserved its order on Tejpal's bail application for November 29.

The police move also came on a day the victim, a woman journalist of Tehelka, who was allegedly sexually assaulted in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa earlier this month, arrived here and recorded her statement under Section 164 of CrPC before a local court.

The statement of the victim under section 164 CrPC is being recorded in a local court here. The process is still on, said Mishra.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today dismissed Tejpal's accusations that the BJP government in the state was pursuing vendetta against him because of the sting operation conducted by his organisation that unseated the party President Bangaru Laxman and other issues.

PTI