Goa: Judgment in Tarun Tejpal case likely to be delivered today

PANAJI: Additional sessions judge Kshama Joshi is likely to pronounce the judgment in the alleged rape case against Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal on Wednesday at 10.30am.
On May 12 the judge deferred the judgment as the court was understaffed in line with the new standard operating processes (SOP) for courts with the rise in Covid cases.
Special public prosecutor Francisco Tavora told TOI that the judgment would likely be pronounced today.
The final arguments in the 8-year-old trial against Tejpal in Goa concluded in March this year.
The case has seen many twists and turns.
On November 7 and 8, 2013 Tejpal allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at an event organised by Tehelka at a starred hotel in north Goa. On November 22, Goa Police lodged a suo motu FIR against Tejpal.
He turned up in Goa on November 28, 2013 and was arrested on November 30 after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. He was granted interim bail on May 19, 2014 to attend the cremation of his mother and since then has been out of jail. In July 2014, Tejpal was granted bail.
In September 2017 a Mapusa court framed charges against Tejpal for allegedly raping a junior colleague in the November 2013 case. Tejpal had pleaded not guilty paving the way for a trial.
The cross-examination of the survivor began on October 21, 2019. Earlier through a criminal revision application Tejpal challenged the framing of charges by the additional district and sessions court. On December 20, 2017 the high court of Bombay at Goa had dismissed Tejpal’s application.
Tejpal has been charged for offences 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).