Today, a court in Goa acquitted Tarun Tejpal, the founder-editor of Tehelka magazine, of allegations of raping a former colleague eight years earlier. According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the Goa government will appeal the order to the High Court.
During a case in 2013, Tarun Tejpal was accused of sexually harassing a young woman in an elevator of a five-star resort in Goa. In the same year, he was jailed.
In 2017, he was charged with rape, sexual assault, and unlawful incarceration by the district court. Tarun Tejpal first contested the charges in the Bombay High Court, then in the Supreme Court, which ordered that the trial in Goa proceed.
When the “not guilty” decision was released, the 58-year-old journalist was present in court in Mapusa with his family.
Cara Tejpal, Tarun Tejpal’s daughter, read a statement on her father’s behalf, saying he had been “falsely accused” of sexual harassment. “I thank this court with a deep appreciation for its comprehensive, unbiased, and fair trial, as well as for its detailed review of CCTV footage and other empirical material on record,” Mr. Tejpal said, referring to his lawyer Rajiv Gomes, who died of Covid last week.
“My family has endured harrowing seven-and-a-half years as we have lived with the devastating effects of these baseless accusations on every part of our life, professional, and public lives. We’ve felt the wrath of the administration, but we’ve always worked closely with the Goa police and legal system, participating in hundreds of court hearings “according to the quote.
ANI news agency quoted Mr. Tejpal as saying: “My family has been through a long nightmare. I’m glad that it’s almost done, and I’m thankful to have gotten justice, which is no longer always a given in this world.”
Goa’s government said it was looking into the order. “We will not accept any kind of discrimination against women in Goa. We want to appeal the district court’s decision to the Supreme Court as soon as possible “Pramod Sawant expressed his thoughts.
The Tehelka accusations blew up after a series of emails were leaked in which the woman complained to her Tehelka bosses and Mr. Tejpal.
Mr. Tejpal resigned as Tehelka Editor shortly after, citing a six-month “recusing” period. In November of 2013, he was jailed. Since May 2014, he has been out on parole.
