The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by former Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal seeking to quash rape charges against him, The Times of India reported.
The bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said the charges were serious and were about “an assault on the privacy of the victim”, according to Live Law. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra asked the lower court to complete the trial preferably within six months.
The court in Goa will resume trial from September 23 against Tejpal, PTI reported. North Goa District Judge Vijaya Pol fixed the date after the top court dismissed his plea.
Tejpal is accused of raping a junior colleague in 2013 in a hotel elevator at an annual event organised by the magazine in Goa. In September 2017, a trial court in Goa had charged Tejpal with rape, sexual harassment and wrongful restraint. He pleaded not guilty. Earlier, in an internal email, he claimed the incident had been a “lapse of judgment”.
The Supreme Court on August 6 had asked Tejpal why he had apologised to the complainant if he had not committed the crime. “If nothing had happened, you would not have sent apologies,” Justice Arun Mishra had said. “Something inappropriate must have happened.”
Tejpal has been out on bail since May 2014.
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