Tarun Tejpal to appear before Goa police tomorrow, arrest likely

Moving towards an imminent arrest, the Goa police on Thurdsay approached a local court for issuing a non-bailable warrant against Tarun Tejpal, who is accused of sexual assault against a woman journalist colleague, after he failed to appear before the investigating officer.

Tejpal, whose request for extension of time for appearance by 3 pm before the officer, was rejected has now told the Goa police that he will appear before them on Friday in the investigations, his lawyer Sandeep Kapur, said in Delhi.

"We have sent a fax to the Goa police and have informed them that Tarun Tejpal will join the investigation tomorrow (on Friday)," Kapur added.

A copy of the letter, addressed to Sunita Sawant, police inspector CID/CB PS Dona Paula, Goa, was made available to the media in which Tejpal described the sequence of receiving the summons issued to him by the police and said he "requires a little time" to appear before it as he is not a resident of Goa.

"I have just been informed that last night, November 27, around about 10.45 pm, you had left the summons with my wife Geetan Batra Tejpal, asking me to appear at CID Crime Branch office at Dona Paula, Panaji, Goa on November 28, 2013 at15.00 hours for investigation of CID crime branch PS Dona Paula, Goa Cr. No 27/2013 u/s 354-A, 376, 376 (2)(k) of IPC."

"Since I am not a resident of Goa, I require a little time to appear before you. I request you to kindly allow me to present myself for investigations on Saturday afternoon -- that is, day after," he said in his letter.

Tejpal, however, assured the investigating officer that he will give his full cooperation in the ongoing investigation.

 "I hope that is okay, I assure you of my complete and full cooperation. I am also sending a hard copy of the same by courier," he said.

He also mentioned in his letter that the Goa police has declined to grant him time till Saturday to appear before it. "We have just been given to understand that our plea for extension till Saturday has been disallowed, as per the news reported on the TV channels. Accordingly, please note that I shall be reporting for investigation to you tomorrow (on Friday) itself and as always assure you of my full cooperation," Tejpal said.

Earlier in the day, Tejpal also preferred to withdraw the petition seeking anticipatory bail from the Delhi high court, which was to pronounce its order on Friday.

When pressed whether arrest was being thought of, Deputy Inspector General of Police O P Mishra shot back, "There should be no doubt that the next logical steps is that.  The IO is proceeding as per logical and legal protocol."

"Keeping in view the seriousness of the offence, the investigating officer has not accepted his (Tejpal's) request (for more time) to appear before her," he said.

"The IO is now proceeding in the case as per law.  All other formalities will follow.  We will do them without any loss of time," he said without disclosing what the step was.

Mishra said the IO took into account all the factors before deciding on not accepting Tejpal's request for extension of time.

Tejpal has been charged with the offence of sexual assault of his junior woman colleague by the Goa Police in a five star hotel lift earlier this month.