Rupesh Gurudas Samant

Panaji (Goa): Bombay High Court at Goa has refused to give respite to Tehelka’s former editor in chief Tarun Tejpal. The court has dismissed the petition filed by him seeking quashing of rape and other charges against him.

Justice Nutan Sardesai in the order which was delivered today has dismissed the petition filed by Tejpal, who is accused of raping a girl during an event in Goa in the year 2013. The detailed order is expected to be pronounced later during the day.

District and Sessions Court in Mapusa had framed charges against Tejpal initiating trial against him in November.

Tejpal has been charged by the district court in Mapusa town under under 354-A (sexual harassment), 376 (rape), 376(2)(k) IPC (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the woman) by crime branch.

The crime branch later added IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (2) (f) (person in position of trust or authority over women, committing rape of such women), 376 C (sexual intercourse by person in authority) and section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).

“The detailed copy of the order which has dismissed our petition is not with us so we are not able to know on which ground it was rejected,” lawyer Pramodkumar Dubey who represented Tejpal in the High Court said.

Senior lawyer Aman Lekhi who argued on behalf of Tejpal on December 12 before the high court had presented before the Judge, the CCTV footage outside the lift of a five-star hotel, where he is alleged to have sexually assaulted her.

Public prosecutor Saresh Lotlikar had told the court said the trial court (district court) has come to the conclusion that “primary case” has been made out as the charges are already framed.

He had said the charges against the accused should not be dismissed without a trial in the case.