Sex assault case: HC rejects Tarun Tejpal's plea to postpone trial

Tarun Tejpal

Panaji: The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition by Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal seeking postponement of trial, scheduled from October 21 to 23, in a sexual assault case lodged against him by a former woman colleague.

Tejpal had moved the high court against the October 7 order of additional district and sessions court in Mapusa fixing the hearing for cross-examination of the victim for three days starting October 21. Claiming that his lawyer was busy with another case, the former Tehelka editor had sought dates after December 2. However, his petition was dismissed by the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court.

The victim, a junior colleague of Tejpal, has accused him of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a five-star hotel in Goa during the magazine's THiNK fest event in 2013. Tejpal was arrested by Goa Crime Branch on November 30, 2013, and given bail in May 2014. In September last year, the district court had framed charges of rape and wrongful confinement against him.

Tejpal is charged under Indian Penal Code sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 350 (criminal force), 376 (rape) and 354(A) and (B) (sexually coloured remarks and use of criminal force on woman). The in-camera trial in the case began in March 2018. Last month, the Supreme Court refused Tejpal's plea to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him.

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