Tarun Tejpal: Goa court to frame charges against former editor-in-chief in 2013 rape case today

A Goa court will formally frame charges against Tarun Tejpal, former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, in a rape case on Thursday.

Tejpal earlier had challenged the lower court saying the case was ‘false accusation of rape’.

Justice Prithviraj Chavan has offered Tejpal was deferring examination of the first witness to a date after November 1, the day when High Court will hear his appeal.

Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague inside a lift at Hotel Hotel Grand Hyatt on November 7, 2013.

Also read: Sexual assault case: SC grants regular bail to Tarun Tejpal

Tejpal’s counsel, Aman Lekhi, had argued the fight is ‘asymmetrical’ and made a case that the “state has aligned with the victim”, while the reputation of the accused is being systematically destroyed.

Tejpal counsel also maintained that the case doesn’t stand a fit to trial and Tejpal should be relieved from undergoing ‘trauma of a trial’ as there are no sufficient ground to proceed.

Also read: Sexual assault case: SC extends Tejpal's interim bail

While the public prosecutor S Lotlikar said, “Charge will be framed by the court and there is a mandate under the law that it should be completed within a stipulated period of time.”

He further added that the apex court had directed that the charge should be concluded.

“It was earlier meant to be concluded in eight months. Now we have at least three years in this. There is no further justification for stay of order,” added Lotlikar.

The Goa Police had booked Tejpal in multiple charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections including 354-A (sexual harrassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 376 (rape), 376(2)(k) (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the woman), 341 and 342 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 376 (2) (f) (person in position of trust or authority over women, committing rape of such women) and 376C IPC (sexual intercourse by person in authority) and Section 354 IPC.