NEW DELHI: The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court refused to let former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal off the hook over the rape charges he is facing. Ruling against his petition challenging the framing of charges against him, the high court ruled on Tuesday, directed that the process may be begun.
Justice Prithviraj Chavan however directed that examination of witnesses at the lower court could only begin after its consent.
So, the trial against the former Tehelka magazine editor in chief, Tarun Tejpal, on rape case will open at the additional session’s court at Mapusa in Goa on September 28 as scheduled earlier.
The court will pronounce an order on the framing charges against 54-year-old Tejpal after the trial.
The senior journalist had challenged the framing of charges by the additional North Goa District and Sessions court against him.
Lawyer Aman Lekhi, appearing on behalf of Tejpal, had challenged the September 7 framing of charges process by the additional North Goa District and Sessions court , and argued that the accusations of rape were false.
Lekhi also argued that the prosecution had delayed handing over the evidence to him by three years.
In response, the prosecution lawyer Saresh Lotlikar argued that only a proper trial could establish the veracity of the charges levelled against the accused.
The next hearing at the trial court in Mapusa is scheduled for September
28. The High Court will continue hearing Tejpal's petition on November 1.
Tejpal is facing charges of sexually assaulting a former female junior colleague in the elevator of a five-star hotel, during a Tehelka fest in Goa in November 2013.
Subsequently, an FIR was filed against him and was asked to step down from his post at Tehelka magazine.
Tejpal will be tried for the charges of rape, sexual harassment, assault and wrongful restraint to her junior woman colleague.
Earlier in June 2017, Goa's Mapusa Court restricted the media from reporting any proceedings of the rape case accused.
The court passed the order under 327 (3) barring the media from covering the proceedings until completion of the trial.
On January 17, 2015, the Supreme Court of India had stayed the trial against Tejpal in connection with his alleged role in a sexual assault case for a period of three weeks.
Here is the timeline of Tarun Tejpal’s case:
Charges filed against Tarun Tejpal:
Further updates:
Updates in 2017: