The statement of these three, including of Choudhury’s is crucial to the case to reconstruct the incident and validate victim’s and Tejpal’s version.
Goa Police issued summons to former Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury and three other key witnesses, seeking their presence in the state for recording of statements in the Tarun Tejpal rape case, on Wednesday.
Police sources said summons had been issued via email as well as in physical form, and were served by Tuesday evening.
The victim of the Tehelka sexual harassment case, an ex-employee of Tehelka news magazine, had put her complaint forward to Chaoudhury – her boss – after the incidnt. Later she had accused Chaudhury of attempting to cover up the sexual assault complaint against Tejpal.
The former managing editor of the magazine, well known for her feminist stance in the past, has denied the charge. However, it was all in the media glare the way she failed to address victim’s complaint and stood by Tejpal’s side.
This had led to the resignation of other employees of Tehelka which included three witnesses to the case, followed by Choudhury’s own resignation. These three witnesses have also been summoned and they are Ishan Tankha, Shougat Dasgupta and G. Vishnu.
Goa Police had recorded a statement from Chaudhury as well as the three others when a police team had arrived in New Delhi last week. The effort now is to record the statement in the presence of a judicial magistrate.
The statement of these three, including of Choudhury’s is crucial to the case to reconstruct the incident and validate victim’s and Tejpal’s version. Since there was no CCTV in the elevator where the incident took place and the victim was seen running out of the same elevator through the CCTV placed in the corridor after the time when the incident took place, it is important to record their statements.
-with inputs from IANS
