PANAJI (TIP): A Goa court on December 4 rejected Tehelka foundereditor Tarun Tejpal’s request for a fan in the police lock-up where he has been lodged since Saturday night. Judicial magistrate Kashama Joshi passed the order on the plea filed two days ago after hearing arguments from the two sides. Tejpal was arrested late Saturday night for alleged sexual assault of a woman journalist at the ThinkFest held at a starred hotel in Bambolim early last month. The crime branch sleuths, probing the case, took Tejpal for a second round of tests at the Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Bambolim, at about 8.15am on Wednesday.
Tejpal underwent an ultrasound test before he was taken to the crime branch office for interrogation which ended at 8.30pm, sources said. The crime branch has been extremely cautious with Tejpal and even ensured that his cell at the Panaji police lock-up was cleaned before he was lodged there after his arrest. He was subjected to various tests including forensic and psychiatric tests during the first round of medical examination on December 2. “We don’t want to take any chances,” a police officer said.
Tejpal has been permitted food from home. The family member, who delivers his food, is made to taste it before it is passed on to Tejpal. “We allow at least ten minutes to lapse after food is tasted by the person who gets it,” an officer said.