The Supreme Court today i.e., August 19, 2019, has quashed a plea filed by Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal who is accused in a sexual assault case of 2013. The apex court has asked a Goa court to finish the trial within six months.
A Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra while hearing Tejpal's plea said that sexual assault is a very serious offence and morally abhorrent case and since the charges were framed six years back, there can be no further delay.
Refusing to give any relief to Tarun Tejpal, the Bench asked Goa's lower court to complete the trial preferably within six months.
Tarun Tejpal, the founder-editor of Tehelka, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman employee during an event in Goa in 2013, the ThinkFest organized by the newsmagazine.
The young woman has accused him of assaulting her inside an elevator of the five-star hotel where the event took place.
The allegations surfaced after a series of emails in which the woman complained to her seniors at Tehelka and Mr. Tejpal and the magazine's then Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhary responded, were leaked and published by media.
Mr. Tejpal stepped down as Tehelka Editor soon after, saying he was "recusing" himself for six months. He was arrested in November 2013. He has been out on bail since May 2014.
In a 2,684-page chargesheet filed before the Goa fast-track court, the police said Mr. Tejpal assaulted the woman twice and that there was enough evidence against him.
On the other hand, Mr. Tejpal has said that the allegations are false and part of "political vendetta" by the BJP government in Goa.
He had approached the Supreme Court to set aside the rape charges against him after the Bombay High Court in 2017 dismissed the same request.
