Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal undergoes blood, potency tests

Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal spent most of Monday in hospital, undergoing a urology test related to potency, a mandatory general medical examination and a series of blood tests, officials here said.

Tejpal was Sunday interrogated in a police lock-up.

He underwent the tests Monday at the Goa Medical College near Panaji under police escort and was taken back to the Crime Branch for more interrogation later in the afternoon.

Police said Tejpal was questioned in spells of three hours Sunday after he was formally sent to police custody for six days for allegedly sexually assaulting a junior colleague.

Tejpal was questioned about the discrepancy between his apologies via email to the woman, and his subsequent public posturing that the case was a conspiracy.

Police sources said while the potency test was necessary to establish whether the accused was physically capable of the sexual assault he is accused of, the other medical examinations are mandatory every two days when an accused is in police custody.

Police sources said Tejpal could be taken to the Grand Hyatt hotel Monday night or Tuesday to recreate the crime scene.

The woman journalist has accused Tejpal of allegedly sexually assaulting her twice in that hotel's elevator Nov 7-8 during a three-day conference organised by Tejpal's weekly news magazine.

"He will then be confronted with the footage from CCTVs outside the elevator," a police source said.

Tejpal spent most of Sunday in his prison cell. He spent the night on a makeshift newspaper mat in the company of four alleged frog poachers arrested by the state forest department.

Police sources said a minor argument broke out outside the lock-up Sunday night after Tejpal's family turned up with a mattress for him but were refused entry because the court has not permitted the use of a blanket by Tejpal.