MAPUSA
After seven long years of court battle, the District and Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa on Friday exonerated the former founder editor of Tehelka magazine, Tarun Tejpal of rape charges in a case filed by a female colleague who alleged that the senior journalist had sexually assaulted her in a hotel in the State.
Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi pronounced the verdict acquitting Tarun Tejpal of all charges framed against him.
Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Francisco Tavora said the verdict was a “serious setback” for the prosecution and the State would appeal against the judgement.
“The accused has been acquitted from all the charges. We are waiting for a copy of the judgement and then challenge the order in the High Court,” Tavora said.
Tejpal along with his immediate family members were present when the verdict was announced in the trial court in Mapusa.
The senior journalist was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) 354A (sexual harassment) and 354B (criminal assault), of the Indian Penal Code.
“The court has acquitted him from all the sections. Detailed order has not been given yet. It will be uploaded later,” said Suhas Velip, Tejpal’s defence counsel.
The former founder editor of Tehelka said that the long-drawn trial was a long nightmare for his family and that he was relieved that it was finally over.
“I am very grateful for having received justice because justice is not always a given thing in this country any more,” Tejpal said in a crisp statement to the waiting media outside the court.
Earlier, in a written statement read by his daughter, Tarun Tejpal thanked the trial court for its “rigorous, impartial and fair trial”.
“In November 2013, I was falsely accused of sexual assault by a colleague. Today the honourable trial court of Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi has honourably acquitted me. In an awfully vitiated age, where ordinary courage has become rare, I thank her for standing by the truth,” said Tarun Tejpal in his statement.
He said the past seven and half years have been traumatic for his family as they tried to deal with the catastrophic fallout of the false allegations in their personal, professional and public lives.
“We have felt the boot of the State, but through it all we have co-operated fully with the Goa Police and the legal system, through hundreds of court proceedings. We have unwaveringly followed every mandate of due procedure and abided by every principle of law as laid down in the Constitution,” he said.
The former founder editor of Tehelka magazine, Tarun Tejpal was accused by his young female colleague for sexually assaulting her in the elevator of a starred hotel in Goa where the magazine was hosting a conclave in 2013.
Goa Police had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and lodged an FIR against Tejpal on November 22, 2013.
He was subsequently arrested and sent to custody where he remained for nearly a year before being released on bail.
