Panaji:
A Goa court today framed charges of
rape and wrongful confinement against Tarun Tejpal, the
founder of Tehelka magazine, in connection with an alleged
rape case filed against him in 2013, paving the way for his
trial.
Tejpal, 54, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. The
next hearing in the case in the district court has been fixed
on November 21.
Additional district sessions judge in Mapusa, Vijaya
Pol, framed charges against Tejpal under IPC sections 376
(punishment for rape) and 354 A (sexual harassment) and B
(criminal assault with intent to disrobe a woman), 341
(wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement), public
prosecutor Fransisco Tavora told reporters. Tejpal faces a
minimum 10-year jail term if he is found guilty of rape.
"The judge will now try Tejpal under these sections,"
he said.
Advocate Rajiv Gomes, representing Tejpal, had pleaded
before the Mapusa court in Goa to put the trial on hold as a
petition challenging the framing of charges is already pending
before the Bombay High Court at Goa.
Tejpal was also represented by advocate Pramod Kumar
Dubey.
The judge rejected the plea and allowed the framing of
charges against Tejpal. "The trial has been deferred by the high court, which
has issued a notice to the state government, and the case
would be heard on November 1," he said.
"We had contended that even explanation of the charges
(to Tejpal) should be deferred because we are confident that
we will get discharge from the high court. We know that there
is no case in the prosecution," Gomes added.
He said that the trial in the matter is not going to
start before the disposal of the case filed in the high court.
Earlier this week, the Bombay High Court at Goa had
refused to stay the framing of charges against him, while
issuing notice to the state government.
The high court had, however, restrained the district
court from examining the evidence in this case.
The former Tehelka editor is alleged to have sexually
assaulted a former colleague inside the elevator of a five-
star hotel in Goa in 2013.
He had been arrested on November 30, 2013 by the Crime
Branch after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the
court. He has been out on bail since May 2014.
