Goa court to pronounce judgment in rape case against Tarun Tejpal

A Goa court on Tuesday is scheduled to pronounce its judgement in the rape case against former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, nearly eight years after a colleague accused the journalist of sexually assaulting her at a five star resort in Goa.

Tejpal was subsequently booked uner sections under sections 376 (rape), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) 354A (sexual harassment) and 354B (criminal assault), of the Indian Penal Code.

The incident allegedly occurred on November 7, during a conference organised by the media group in 2013 and Tejpal stepped down as editor of Tehelka on November 20, three days before the Goa Police filed a First Information Report against him.

Tejpal was arrested on November 30, after the North Goa District and Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail application, after which the journalist spent nearly eight months in police and judicial custody. He was subsequently released on bail by the Supreme Court, months after a 2,846 page chargesheet by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police was filed.

Charges against Tejpal were later framed by the trial court in Goa in 2017, despite attempts by the journalist to quash it.