Journalist Tarun Tejpal’s Plea To Quash Rape Charges Dismissed By Supreme Court
Aug 19, 2019 | Pratirodh BureauThe Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by former Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal seeking to quash rape charges against him, The Times of India reported.
The bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said the charges were serious and were about “an assault on the privacy of the victim”, according to Live Law. The trial court in Goa was ordered to finish proceedings within six months, News18 reported.
Tejpal is accused of raping a junior colleague in 2013 in a hotel elevator at an annual event organised by the magazine in Goa. In September 2017, a trial court in Goa had charged Tejpal with rape, sexual harassment and wrongful restraint. He pleaded not guilty. Earlier, in an internal email, he claimed the incident had been a “lapse of judgment”.
The Supreme Court on August 6 had asked Tejpal why he had apologised to the complainant if he had not committed the crime. “If nothing had happened, you would not have sent apologies,” Justice Arun Mishra had said. “Something inappropriate must have happened.”
Tejpal has been out on bail since May 2014.