Owe it to our girls says Goa govt which pushing for early hearing of appeal against Tejpal’s acquittal

Panaji, May 28: The Goa government pushed for an early hearing of its appeal against the acquittal of former editor-in-chief of Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal who had been charged with sexual assault of his then college in a Goa hotel.

In its appeal, the government said, 'we owe it to our girls and the acquittal order is erroneous in law and unsustainable.'

Representing the Goa government, Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta told a Bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa that the way in which the trial court had dealt with the case of sexual assault made it seem like any person who is a victim of sexual assault has to exhibit her trauma and unless she did that, she could not be believed.

Justice S C Gupte directed the lower court to redact from its judgment that may reveal the identity of the victim including her e-mail address and name of her family members. I am sorry the High Court has to do this. The trial court should have done it. The court should have been sensitive, Mehta also said.

He further said that the judgment was astonishing and the system expected sensitivity towards the victim and legal competence, both of which were lacking in the judgment of the trial court which acquitted Tejpal.

"We owe it to our girls that the court hears it at the earliest. It was the duty of the state to file an appeal against the judgment of the trial court," he also said.

Tejpal was acquitted of all charges on May 21.