Tehelka case:Goa police to quiz Shoma, take victim's statement

Panaji/Delhi, Nov 23: A special investigation team of Goa Police today flew to Delhi in connection with the probe into alleged sexual assault of a

journalist by its Editor

and will seek to record the statements of the two along with that of magazine's Managing Editor

.

A senior Goa police official said that the Crime Branch team, led by a Deputy Superintendent, will record the statement of Chaudhury before further action. The police are trying to collect e-mails of Tarun Tejpal in connection with the incident and the complaint of the girl to the management, following which he will be questioned, the official said and did not rule out his arrest.

Police will also be trying to meet the victim and get an independent statement from her, the official said. Goa Police had yesterday filed an FIR against Tejpal under Sections 376 (rape), 376 (2) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC in connection with the incident that took place during an event in Goa a fortnight ago.

Tejpal convicted under IPC Section 376 that entails to a maximum of life term.

Conviction under Section 376 of IPC entails a maximum of life term in jail. Tejpal had issued a statement offering to extend the "fullest cooperation" to the police and all other authorities. Chaudhury, who had yesterday said they would not go to police on the issue as it was for the victim to decide on it, today said that if the case is "initiated by the state" she will cooperate with Goa police and "has been cooperating".

"I am going to talk to them (police). I have sent them an e-mail and I will be sending them the information that they have asked for," she said. Chaudhury, who is facing allegations of a cover up, came under fresh attack when she referred to her conversation with Tejpal saying he had a "different version" of the incident, which she claimed to have overruled when getting his apology. "I do feel a sense of outrage and betrayal but he has a different version," she had said.

The issue came into limelight when the email by the woman journalist of his magazine alleging sexual assault was made public and Tejpal announced on Wednesday night that he was "recusing" from his job for six months.

PTI