Soni Satti
According to Special Public Prosecutor Francisco Tavora, a Goa Sessions Court will today deliver its judgment in the rape trial of former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal.
Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, after a colleague at a five-star resort in North Goa accused him of rape. Currently, he is out on bail.
On March 8, an additional district and Sessions Court judge heard final arguments in the Tejpal case and adjourned the case until a later date.
On September 29, 2017, the Court charged him with rape, sexual assault, and unlawful incarceration under different provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
He, on the other hand, has entered a not guilty plea. Tejpal filed a petition with the Supreme Court after the charges were filed, asking for the charges to be dismissed.
The Supreme Court declined to dismiss the charges in August and ordered the trial to be completed within six months.
The woman had accused Tejpal of sexually harassing her inside a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa during an event in November 2013.
The prosecution called 71 witnesses and the defence called five witnesses during the closed-door hearing. The prosecution’s argument was based mostly on the victim’s testimony, comments by some of her co-workers, and electronic evidence such as e-mails and WhatsApp messages.
Tejpal had a charge sheet filed against him by the Goa crime department.
