Tejpal charged with rape by Goa trial court
4 YEARS ON Former Tehelka editor faces a minimum 10year jail term if he is found guilty, next hearing in the case on November 21
PANAJI Former news magazine Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal faces at least 10 years in prison after a Goa court approved on Thursday indictments under strict sections of the law dealing with rape.
Tejpal, 54, was accused of rape by a junior colleague in 2013. He has pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. The next hearing in the case in the district court has been fixed on November 21.
Additional district sessions judge in Mapusa, Vijaya Pol, framed charges against Tejpal under IPC sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 354 A (sexual harassment) and B (criminal assault with intent to disrobe a woman), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement), public prosecutor Fransisco Tavora told reporters.
Tejpal faces a minimum 10-year jail term if he is found guilty of rape.
“The judge will now try Tejpal under these sections,” said the public prosecutor.
Advocate Rajiv Gomes, representing Tejpal, had pleaded before the Mapusa court in Goa to put the trial on hold as a petition challenging the framing of charges is already pending before the Bombay high court . Goa.
Tejpal was also represented by advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey. The judge rejected the plea and allowed the framing of charges against Tejpal. “The charges were framed to be ordered against Tejpal during the last hearing. Today, the charges were explained to him and he has pleaded not guilty,” Gomes said, “The trial has been deferred by the high court, which has issued a notice to the state government, and the case would be heard on November 1,” he said.
“We had contended that even explanation of the charges (to Tejpal) should be deferred because we are confident that we will get discharge from the high court. We know that there is no case in the prosecution,” Gomes added. He said that the trial in the matter is not going to start before the disposal of the case filed in the high court.
Earlier this week, the Bombay HC had refused to stay the framing of charges against him, while issuing notice to the state government.
The high court had, however, restrained the district court from examining the evidence in this case.
The former Tehelka editor is alleged to have sexually assaulted a former colleague inside an elevator of a five- star hotel in Goa in 2013.