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Bombay HC to hear appeal against Tarun Tejpal's acquittal in rape case today
Tejpal, the former editor of Tehelka magazine, is accused of raping a junior colleague inside the elevator of a five-star resort in Goa in 2013 during an event.
The Goa bench of the Bombay high court will on Tuesday hear an appeal against the acquittal of journalist Tarun Tejpal in a rape case. It was deferred for August 10 after Tejpal's lawyer Amit Desai told the high court that his instructing counsel Ankur Chawla had "bereavement" and some documents were yet to be furnished.
Tejpal, the former editor of Tehelka magazine, is accused of raping a junior colleague inside the elevator of a five-star resort in Goa in 2013 during an event. The Goa police registered an FIR against him in November 2013 following which he was arrested. Tejpal was out on bail in May 2014.
On May 21 this year, additional sessions judge Kshama Joshi acquitted Tejpal at a fast track court in Goa, saying that there wasn’t "enough evidence to warrant a conviction" giving him the benefit of doubt.
Soon after the acquittal, the Goa government approached the Bombay high court to challenge the order.
Tejpal faced the trial under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 376(2)(f) (person in a position of authority over women, committing rape) and 376(2)(k) (rape by a person in a position of control).
