Panjim: Tarun Tejpal, the founder of Tehelka who has been accused of rape, has been refused anticipatory bail by a court in Goa.
To avoid arrest, Mr Tejpal, 50, had offered to submit his passport in court today. He was present in court, along with his wife and daughter.
Public Prosecutor (PP) Saresh Lotlikar argued that Tehelka editor Tejpal, who has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman colleague in a five star hotel in Goa, should be in police custody so that he can be properly interrogated. He said Tejpal has been changing his version and is now claiming that he has not been heard.
"The accused has been changing colours like a chameleon through different statements," he told the District and Sessions Judge Anuja Prabhudesai.
Mr Tejpal is accused of raping the reporter at an annual Tehelka conference in Goa earlier this month. She did not press charges, but detailed her allegations against him to her boss at Tehelka, Shoma Chaudhary, in an email that was leaked.
The Goa Police used that email to commence its investigation against Mr Tejpal. Ms Chaudhary resigned as Tehelka's Managing Editor on Thursday.
