MAPUSA
After more than four years, the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, Tarun Tejpal, will finally face trial in an alleged rape case.
The Additional District and Sessions Court, Mapusa on Tuesday has fixed the in-camera trial for four continuous days beginning from February 26, during which the victim will be examined.
Judge Vijaya Pol, who insisted on early date for the trial to begin, finally relented on a later date on a written request of the defence counsel.
"The learned court has fixed the time for recording the statement of the prosecutrix, i.e. victim with effect from February 26, 2018. If it concludes to that, then the prosecutrix evidence is over. But the court has given four days to complete the evidence," said Adv Pramod Dubey, the counsel for Tejpal.
Dubey said the onus was on the prosecution to prove the case and he was confident that there was no case against his client (Tarun Tejpal).
"We are quite confident that there is no case. We are saying it from the inception that there is no case and the entire case is based on falsification and fabrication of documents...concoction of the story. So let the prosecution put the case. We are in defence," he said.
He refused to admit that the High Court dismissal of Tejpal's revision petition was a disappointment.
"There is no disappointment at all. This is the question of appreciation by the court. And still we have the remedy. We'll see...," Dubey said.
It may be recalled the Goa Bench of Bombay HC on December 20, 2017, dismissed a revision petition filed by Tejpal and refused to quash rape and other charges levelled against him.
The additional district court in Mapusa had earlier framed charges against Tejpal under IPC sections for sexual harassment, criminal assault with intent to disrobe a woman, wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement.
Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a former junior colleague during a Tehelka fest at Goa in November 2013.
After more than four years, the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, Tarun Tejpal, will finally face trial in an alleged rape case.
The Additional District and Sessions Court, Mapusa on Tuesday has fixed the in-camera trial for four continuous days beginning from February 26, during which the victim will be examined.
Judge Vijaya Pol, who insisted on early date for the trial to begin, finally relented on a later date on a written request of the defence counsel.
"The learned court has fixed the time for recording the statement of the prosecutrix, i.e. victim with effect from February 26, 2018. If it concludes to that, then the prosecutrix evidence is over. But the court has given four days to complete the evidence," said Adv Pramod Dubey, the counsel for Tejpal.
Dubey said the onus was on the prosecution to prove the case and he was confident that there was no case against his client (Tarun Tejpal).
"We are quite confident that there is no case. We are saying it from the inception that there is no case and the entire case is based on falsification and fabrication of documents...concoction of the story. So let the prosecution put the case. We are in defence," he said.
He refused to admit that the High Court dismissal of Tejpal's revision petition was a disappointment.
"There is no disappointment at all. This is the question of appreciation by the court. And still we have the remedy. We'll see...," Dubey said.
It may be recalled the Goa Bench of Bombay HC on December 20, 2017, dismissed a revision petition filed by Tejpal and refused to quash rape and other charges levelled against him.
The additional district court in Mapusa had earlier framed charges against Tejpal under IPC sections for sexual harassment, criminal assault with intent to disrobe a woman, wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement.
Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a former junior colleague during a Tehelka fest at Goa in November 2013.
