NEW DELHI: Facing charges of rape and sexual assault of a junior colleague in a Goa hotel, Tehelka’s founder editor Tarun Tejpal on Monday moved the Delhi high court seeking transit anticipatory bail.

In his plea, Tejpal has refuted the allegations levelled by the woman journalist and seeks to discredit her version. The petition claims even after the alleged incident as claimed by the victim, she “continued to party, was completely normal and friendly”. The petition questions the victim’s conduct by highlighting how she was at “every party and social event in the conference” and also stayed out late into the night.

Tejpal's lawyers — Geeta Luthra and Pramod Dubey — mentioned the case before Justice GS Sistani, who posted it before another bench for hearing on Tuesday. The counsel argued that their client needs protection from arrest and sought transit bail to approach the appropriate court in Goa for relief.

The petition terms the first incident of November 7 as “light hearted banter” refuting the allegation made in the FIR and says the second meeting between Tejpal and the girl took place for just a few seconds. It says these are the only two meetings that occurred between the duo. It claims the nature of the meetings can be established by CCTV footage.

The Goa police had on November 22 lodged an FIR against Tejpal under IPC sections 376 (rape), 376 (2)(K) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty). Conviction under section 376 of IPC entails a maximum of life term in jail.

On Sunday, a three-member Goa Police team questioned Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury and three employees who had been contacted by the alleged victim to corroborate her version. Police also seized from the Tehelka office a hard disc, transcripts of emails exchanged among Tejpal, Choudhury and the girl and other documents.

