Bombay HC adjourns hearing against Tarun Tejpal's acquittal in sexual assault case to June 2

The vacation bench of Bombay High Court in Goa on Thursday adjourned to June 2, the hearing in the acquittal verdict of Tarun Tejpal, former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine in the 2013 alleged sexual assault case.

The Goa government had on Tuesday filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court against Tejpal's acquittal verdict in the case.

He was arrested on November 30 in 2013 after allegedly raping his colleague at a five-star resort in North Goa.

The Bombay High Court bench on Thursday directed the Additional District and Sessions Court in North Goa to rewrite references which reveal the identity of the victim in its 527 page order that on May 21 acquitted Tejpal from charges of rape levelled against him by a junior colleague in 2013.

During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Goa government, observed that the judgement contains a reference to the victim's husband and also her email ID. Mehta further pointed out that the judgement also revealed the name of the victim's mother.

"It appears from the impugned judgment of the learned Sessions Judge, available to this Court, but which, the Court is informed, is not yet uploaded on the trial Court website, that it contains a reference to the victim's husband and also her email ID in paragraph 55 of the impugned judgment, a reference to the Gmail account of the victim in paragraph 182 at page 288 and a reference to the name of the mother of the prosecutrix in paragraph 177 of the impugned judgment," he said.

"In the interest of protecting the identity of the victim of an offence, such as the one with which we are concerned in the present case, it is appropriate to have the above references to be found in paragraphs 55, 177 and 182 of the impugned judgment redacted. The trial Court is accordingly directed to redact the above references, as also other similar references, wherever found in the order, whilst uploading the impugned judgment," said the court.

Tejpal was already out on bail. On September 29, 2017, the court had charged him with various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement. He, however, pleaded not guilty.

Following the framing of charges, Tejpal moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the charges levelled against him.

In August, the top court refused to quash the charges and directed the trial to be concluded within six months.

( With inputs from ANI )

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