Tehelka Case: Goa police records statements of witnesses

NEW DELHI: The Goa police started recording statements of three witnesses with whom the Tehelka woman journalist had reportedly spoken to after the alleged sexual assault on her by the magazine editor Tarun Tejpal.

These are three colleagues of the victim with whom she had interacted soon after the alleged assault happened at a Goa hotel around a fortnight ago. She had also reportedly sent them e-mailed copies of her complaint to Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhary.

The statements were being recorded at at Goa Sadan, sources said.

The woman journalist had also reportedly mentioned the name of her three colleagues in the complaint and said Chaudhary could corroborate facts about the incident from them.

The sources said police are likely to question Tejpal later in the day. Meanwhile, Tejpal's lawyer said the Goa police are yet to contact his or his client. Tejpal's arrest is not being ruled out.

Chaudhary was yesterday questioned for more than eight hours by the Goa police's special investigation team.

The sources said that a three-member team of Goa police led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sammy Tavares, which arrived yesterday here, had to the magazine's office in posh South Delhi locality of Greater Kailash Part II and questioned Chaudhary and a couple of other employees of Tehelka.

Later, the team, which also includes Sunita Sawant who is the Investigating Officer in the case, also recorded the statements of Chaudhary and the other Tehelka employees questioned, they said.