The Bombay High Court today rejected the bail plea of Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a junior woman colleague in a lift of a five-star hotel here.

Justice U V Bakre of the Goa bench of the court refused bail to Tejpal, who is currently lodged at Sada sub-jail in Vasco, 35 km from here.

Tejpal, who was arrested on November 30 last year following the rejection of his anticipatory bail, was not present in court when the order was pronounced this afternoon.

Given permission to visit ailing mother

Earlier in the day, Tejpal was granted permission by a court here to meet his ailing mother, who is admitted in a hospital at Mapusa town.

An application moved by Tejpal before the court had yesterday said his mother Shankuntala has been suffering from brain tumour and is in the last stages of her life.

According to his lawyer Swapnil Nachinolkar, Tejpal is likely to be escorted to the hospital tomorrow morning.

Tejpal had sought bail after the Goa Crime branch filed a charge sheet against him on February 17 for rape, outraging modesty and sexual harassment of the woman journalist.

On March 7, the court had adjourned hearing in the bail plea for March 12 after hearing arguments in-camera by prosecution and defence counsels. Subsequently, the court posted the matter for order today.

The 50-year-old journalist has been behind bars for allegedly raping the woman during Tehelka’s Thinkfest in Goa in November last year.

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