Goa court docket defers verdict in Tarun Tejpal case to May 12
The District and Sessions Court at Mapusa Tuesday deferred its judgment within the Tarun Tejpal case to May 12. The former Tehelka editor-in-chief is accused of sexually assaulting a lady in 2013. The court docket, which had listed the case for judgment on Tuesday, mentioned it will not pronounce its verdict right now.
Tejpal confronted trial for committing offences below IPC Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or prison power with intent to outrage modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault or use of prison power to lady with intent to disrobe), 376 (2)(f) (individual in place of authority over girls, committing rape) and 376(2)(okay) (rape by individual in place of management).
In the November 2013 case, the girl had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a elevate in a five-star resort in Goa throughout an occasion. Tejpal, who was arrested on November 30, 2013, was later launched on bail and had contested the allegations.
In the trial held in-camera, the prosecution examined 71 witnesses and cross examined 5 defence witnesses. The case of the prosecution primarily hinged on the assertion of the sufferer, statements of a few of her colleagues and digital proof together with e-mails and WhatsApp messages.
In February 2014, the Goa Police Crime Branch filed a 2,846-page chargesheet in opposition to Tejpal that was divided into 12 volumes, and included the statements of 152 witnesses.
The examination-in-chief of the sufferer, the prosecution’s first witness, was held in court docket by the prosecution in March 2018. The trial recommenced in October 2019, after Tejpal moved the High Court of Bombay at Goa after which the Supreme Court for quashing of prices in opposition to him — the pleas had been turned down by each courts.
CASE TIMELINE
November 23, 2013: FIR lodged in opposition to Tejpal by a lady who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a resort elevator on November 7, 2013.
November 30, 2013: Tejpal positioned below arrest by the Goa Police Crime Branch after his anticipatory bail is rejected by a court docket.
February 17, 2014: Crime Branch information chargesheet operating into 2,846-pages, divided into 12 volumes with statements of 152 witnesses.
July 2014: Supreme Court grants bail to Tejpal. He is launched from jail.
June 2017: Sessions court docket accepts Tejpal’s plea to conduct the trial in-camera.
September 26, 2017: Tejpal contests framing of prices within the High Court of Bombay at Goa. HC refuses to grant keep.
September 28, 2017: Sessions court docket frames prices in opposition to Tejpal.
March 2018: Prosecution conducts sufferer’s examination in chief
August 19, 2019: SC rejects Tejpal’s plea to quash the FIR filed in opposition to him claiming he was framed. Directs the trial court docket to finish trial in six months.
October 2019: Trial recommences
March 2020 to September 2020: Trial stalled on account of the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic
October 28, 2020: SC asks trial court docket to finish the trial by March 31, 2021
January 2021: Goa police submits supplementary chargesheet to trial court docket, says its needs to look at ten extra witnesses.
March 2021: Arguments conclude. Sessions court docket lists judgment for April 27.
April 27, 2021: Sessions court docket defers judgment to May 12.
