Goa court acquits journalist Tarun Tejpal of rape charges
Acquittal likely to deter other victims from reporting cases, feel activists
Panaji, May 21: A sessions court in Goa on Friday acquitted journalist Tarun Tejpal of sexually assaulting a former female colleague. Tejpal, former Tehelka editor-inchief, was accused of sexually assaulting the colleague inside the elevator of a luxury hotel in Goa in
2013.
Additional sessions judge Kshama Joshi acquitted Tejpal, who was present in the court along with his family members when the judgment was pronounced around 10.45 am. The court has acquitted Tejpal of all the charges. A detailed order about it will be made available later in the day, advocate Suhas Velip, junior to advocate Rajiv Gomes, who represented Tejpal in the court, told reporters.
Gomes, who defended Tejpal in the case, died of
Covid-19 last week. After the court verdict, the prosecution said it will challenge the order in the high court. The court had earlier adjourned pronouncement of the verdict in the case on three occasions, citing various reasons. The court was to deliver the verdict on April 27, but the judge had adjourned it to May 12. On May 12, it was further adjourned to May 19. However, it was again adjourned to May
21.
After the verdict, a statement issued by Tejpal was read out to media persons by his daughter Tara outside the court building in Mapusa town near Panaji, in which he thanked the court for its rigorous, impartial and fair trial.
The past seven-and-ahalf years have been traumatic for my family as we have dealt with the catastrophic fallout of these false allegations on every aspect of our personal, professional and public lives, he said.
We have felt the boot of the state, but all through it we have co-operated fully with the Goa police and the legal system, through hundreds of court proceedings, he said.
Tejpal said he
and
his
family have unwaveringly followed every mandate of due procedure and abided by every principle of law as laid down in the Constitution.
We have also endeavoured to uphold every norm of decency expected in a case like this, he said. It is with profound respect that I thank this court for its rigorous, impartial and fair trial and for its thorough examination of the CCTV footage and other empirical material on record, Tejpal added.
He also remembered his late advocate Gomes as a dynamic and brilliant lawyer. The Goa police had registered an FIR against Tejpal in November 2013, following which he was arrested.
The Goa crime branch had filed a charge sheet against Tejpal, who has been out on bail since May 2014. He faced trial under 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).
Several women’s rights activists on Friday questioned the grounds on which journalist Tarun Tejpal was acquitted in a rape case and said the Goa court’s verdict would deter other women from coming forward to report cases of sexual assault
and abuse.
Some of the activists pointed out that Tejpal had himself admitted to attempting to assault the woman and tendered apology, and said the judgement is disappointing and demotivating.
Women rights activist and cyber safety expert Akancha Srivastava said Tejpal himself admitted that he attempted to assault her.
“Half of these cases don’t even go in court and those which reach court and are fought and then to have this judgement is extremely demotivating. When a person has already accepted that he has misbehaved, then on what grounds has he been let off. If he is saying he did then he did it,” she said.
“When we set precedent with such verdicts then we deter more and more victims from coming forward to filing cases and fighting it, she said.
All India Progressive Women’s Association secretary Kavita Krishnan said the judicial system lets down another woman and the survivor had to go through hell.
“The judicial system lets down another woman. No wonder women do not want to file a complaint with the police, she said in a tweet.
Krishnan said Tejpal penned several apologies admitting to the incident.
Goa police took suo motu notice, got FIR filed. Since then the survivor has been dragged through hell, she tweeted.
The hell of being yanked around by police, courts, repeatedly to Goa. The hell of having this case tied to her neck like an albatross. The hell of systematic slander campaigns against her by TT (Tarun Tejpal) and Friends. Her integrity being smeared in court and in social parties,” Krishnan said in another tweet.
She said at the end of it all, the courageous woman did not get even a tiny taste of justice. Rape trials are deeply violent towards survivors.
Yet again, a survivor has been demeaned, humiliated, and let down, she tweeted. —
TEJPAL, FORMER Tehelka editor-in-chief, was accused of sexually assaulting the colleague inside the elevator of a luxury hotel in Goa in 2013.
THE GOA police had registered an FIR against Tejpal in November 2013, following which he was arrested.
HE HAS been out on bail since May 2014.