Journalist Tarun Tejpal charged with raping junior colleague

The Bombay high court had on Tuesday rejected the 54-year-old journalist’s plea to put on hold the framing of charges till it decided a petition to drop all charges against him.

A Goa court on Thursday refused to defer framing of charges against the former founder-editor of Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal, who was accused of rape by a junior colleague four years ago.

Tejpal was accused by the colleague of sexually assaulting her in an elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa in November 2013.

Francisco Taviera, Public Prosecutor, said, "Tarun Tejpal has pleaded not guilty to charges under sections 341, 342, 354 A&B, 376 sub section 2, F&K."

He said, "Charges are framed and have been explained to Tarun Tejpal. He has pleaded not guilty to rape charge."

Next hearing in the rape case against him on 21st November.

The Bombay high court had on Tuesday rejected the 54-year-old journalist's plea to put on hold the framing of charges till it decided a petition to drop all charges against him.

Also, The Mapusa court in Goa had on September 7 refused to drop charges against Tejpal.

Tejpal's counsel Aman Lekhi, while challenging the September 7 framing of charges process, said that the accusations of rape were false and that the prosecution had delayed handing over the evidence to him by three years.

The charges against Tejpal are 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354-b (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe), 341 and 342 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 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).

OneIndia News