PANAJI: The trial in the four-year-old rape case against former Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal, which was earlier fixed from February 26 to March 1, has now been postponed to March 15, 16, and 17.
Francisco Tavora, the special public prosecutor in the case, said Tejpal's lawyers have moved for altering of dates due to a change in advocate. Pramod Dubey used to appear for Tejpal in the case.
Tavora said Tejpal's team hasn't informed the court about who will appear, but that the current dates were not convenient for the new advocate. When the case begins, the hearing will start with the examination of the survivor by the prosecution.
In September 2017, a local Mapusa court had framed charges against Tejpal for allegedly raping a junior colleague at a five-star hotel in Bambolim in 2013. The framing of charges followed a
Supreme Court direction to the court to complete the trial within three months. Tejpal had pleaded not guilty, paving the way for the trial.
Earlier, through a criminal revision application, Tejpal had challenged the framing of charges by the additional district and sessions court in the Bombay high court at Panaji.
Tejpal has been charged under sections 354 (assaulting or using criminal force on a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (outraging modesty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrong confinement), 376 (rape), 376(2) (f) (person in position of trust or authority over women, committing rape of such women) and 376(2) (k) (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the woman), of the
Indian Penal Code.
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