PANAJI: Goa Police on Friday filed a case of rape and outraging of modesty against Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal , who has been accused by a woman journalist colleague of sexual assault during an event here about 10 days ago.

"An FIR has been filed for rape and outraging modesty (against Tejpal). This is one part of the process of investigation and law will take its course," DGP Kishan Kumar said after the Goa Police filed an FIR in the case.

The charges relate to section 376 (rape) and section 354 RPT 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC, he said.

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar said police have complete authority to investigate the sexual assault case against Tejpal and they should not worry about the stature of the person involved.

"I have given complete authority to the police to investigate the case. I have told them don't worry whether the person is low profile or high profile. Stature does not count. What counts is the crime. You go by what is correct in law," the chief minister told the police.

Asked about Tehelka's position that they would not cooperate in the probe until the victim lodges a complaint, Parrikar said, "I don't think that is the legal position. Police will take appropriate action."

He said under a Supreme Court judgement police have a duty to file an FIR in accordance with law in cognisable offences.

The DGP said the crime branch could send a team of officials to Delhi for further investigation.

Parrikar had yesterday ordered a preliminary inquiry into the allegations by the girl that she was sexually abused by Tejpal during an event in Goa.

The alleged incident happened in a lift in a five star hotel in Goa about 10 days ago.

DIG O P Mishra said the CCTV footage was received from the hotel last evening and was preserved. The details of the incident can only be known after examining the footage, he said.

Police have already written to the Tehelka management, asking for the documents including email of the victim and the statement by Tejpal.

IANS reports from Panaji

Both the Goa chief minister and the state police chief have accused Tehelka managing editor Shoma Choudhury of stalling investigation into the rape case filed here against the news weekly's editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal. Speaking to a television channel, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the magazine was indulging in a cover-up.

"Police have informed me they have sent an email to the managing editor yesterday (Thursday) at 5:18 pm. They have confirmation it has been received, asking her to cooperate in a crime which is heinous in nature," Parrikar said, echoing the views of state Director General of Police (DGP) Kishen Kumar, who too said Choudhury was un-cooperative.

"We have written to Shoma Choudhury by way of email. We asked her to give us a copy of the complaint the victim wrote to her," Kishen Kumar said.

The director general of Goa Police also said since the First Information Report (FIR) was filed only a couple of hours back, the police did not get "sufficient time" to extract a formal statement from the victim. Kishen Kumar also conceded the FIR was not itself evidence and the case was still "prima facie".

The DGP said a special team has been constituted to probe the case.

"As I told you, that is a matter of investigation. Let us leave it to the investigating officer," the police chief said, adding he was unwilling to disclose any aspect of investigation to the media. Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague twice in a Goa hotel elevator during a high-profile conference organised by the weekly newspaper earlier this month.

