Panaji: The judgement in the rape case filed against former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal will be pronounced May 12, a trial court judge said here Tuesday. North Goa District and Sessions Court judge Kshama Joshi announced the adjournment Tuesday. It should be stated here that the Court was originally scheduled to pronounce its final order in the case which was booked against Tarun Tejpal in 2013.
“The judge pronounced today that it has been adjourned to the 12th (May),” special public prosecutor Francisco Tavora told reporters here. Tavora said that the Court has not attributed any reason for the delay min pronouncing the judgement.
Tejpal is the former editor-in-chief of the Tehelka investigative magazine. He was accused by a junior colleague of sexually assaulting her at a five star resort in Goa.
Tejpal has been booked under sections 376 (rape), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) 354A (sexual harassment) and 354B (criminal assault), of the Indian Penal Code.
The incident allegedly occurred on November 7, during a conference organised by the media group in 2013. Tejpal stepped down as editor of Tehelka, November 20, three days before the Goa Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against him.
Tejpal was arrested November 30, after the North Goa District and Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail application. He spent nearly eight months in police and judicial custody. He was subsequently released on bail by the Supreme Court, months after a 2,846 page chargesheet by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police was filed.
Charges against Tejpal were later framed by the trial court in Goa in 2017, despite attempts by the journalist to quash it.
September 29, 2017, the court had charged him under various sections of the IPC, including rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement. He, however, pleaded not guilty.
Following the framing of charges Tejpal moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the charges levelled against him. However, in August, the top court refused to quash the charges and directed the trial to be concluded within six months.
