In a fresh blow to Tarun Tejpal, the Bombay High Court at Goa has postponed the former Tehelka editor-in-chief’s bail plea to March 4. The postponement comes a day after the Goa Police filed a chargesheet accusing Tejpal of rape among other offences under the Criminal law Amendment Act, 2013 popularly called the new rape law.
Justice Mridula Bhatkar of the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court posted the matter for hearing on March 4 and asked the prosecution to table a copy of the chargesheet filed against Tejpal by the Crime Branch before Chief Judicial Magistrate on Tuesday.
The High Court has, however, allowed the 50-year-old journalist to apply for bail before a lower court since chargesheet has already been filed. Goa Police on Tuesday filed a 2,846-page chargesheet against Tejpal under sections 354, 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 and 342 (wrongful restraint), 376 (rape), 376(2)(f) and 376 (2)(k) (taking advantage of official position and raping a woman in custody). Under the new anti-rape law, if convicted, Tejpal can get minimum jail term of 10 years which can be extended to life imprisonment.
The chargesheet, filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Anuja Prabhudesai, relied on emails and text messages between the victim and Tejpal, the statements of witnesses, besides CCTV footages of the hotel lobby outside the lift where the alleged incident happened. Tejpal has already spent 80 days in police and judicial custody since his arrest on November 30, after a nationwide police chase.
Tejpal pleaded innocence and alleged he has been framed because of “political vendetta”. “The chargesheet against me is out of political vendetta. I have done nothing wrong,” he told reporters while emerging from court. “The entire truth is in the CCTV footage and it will be known to the world,” he said. A junior colleague had accused Tejpal of alleged rape during ThinkFest, a high-profile conference organised by Tehelka founder in Goa which was attended by Hollywood star Robert de Niro. The victim had claimed that she was sexually assaulted twice on November 7 and 8.
Meanwhile, Tejpal’s lawyer has ruled out moving to a lower court for bail even though the High Court has allowed the same. “We will argue in the High Court. There is no question of moving to the lower court even though the High Court has allowed this,” Tejpal’s counsel Sandip Kapoor said. He said the bail petition in the High Court has not been withdrawn. Tejpal is presently lodged in Sada sub jail located in Vasco, 35 kms from Panaji.