THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa will on Thursday begin hearing final arguments in the State government’s appeal challenging the acquittal of journalist Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case involving a former colleague. The matter has been kept on priority - first on board.
Over the next three days, the Division Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar will hear detailed submissions from both sides before deciding whether the trial court’s acquittal should be upheld or set aside.
Tejpal, founder of the investigative news magazine Tehelka, was accused of raping and sexually assaulting a colleague during an event in Goa in 2013.
The State government had challenged the May 2021 judgment of the trial court, which acquitted Tejpal of all charges. The appeal has been pending before the High Court for nearly five years.
During the previous hearing last month, the Division Bench made it clear that it would not allow adjournments after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, urged the bench to ensure that the respondents do not seek repeated postponements.
