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

PANAJI/DELHI: A special investigation team of Goa Police on Saturday flew to Delhi in connection with the probe into alleged sexual assault of a Tehelka journalist by its editor Tarun Tejpal and will seek to record the statements of the two along with that of magazine's managing editor Shoma Chaudhury.

A senior Goa police official said the crime branch team led by a deputy superintendent will record the statement of Chaudhury before further action.

The police are trying to collect emails 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 on Friday 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.

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.

Ready to provide information to police: Shoma Chaudhury

Shoma Chaudhury on Saturday said she will be meeting the police and was ready to provide all information sought by them.

"I have been cooperating and the information in the media is wrong. Right now, I am going to meet the police and yesterday I have already sent the information the police needs. I have sent a mail earlier in the morning to them and I will be sending stuff," she told reporters as a special team of Goa police flew to Delhi.

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.