FRIDAY, MAY 03, 2024
Team Herald
MAPUSA: The Crime Branch has filed a 19-page supplementary charge sheet against Tarun Tejpal in the alleged rape case.
The original 3000-page charge sheet was followed by supplementary charge sheets.
The supplementary report is filed u/s 173 (8) in continuation to undergoing trial before the District Judge1 and Additional Sessions Judge Mapusa under Sections 341,342,354,354 A, 376,376 (2) (f), 376(2) (k) and 354B of IPC with 10 witnesses to be examined.
Adv Rajiv Gomes said, ”In an outrageous and highly dubious move the Goa Police today filed yet another supplementary charge sheet against Tarun J Tejpal, seven years after filing a charge sheet against him in February 2014 for an alleged sexual crime. The latest supplementary charge sheet has been filed even as the trial is coming to a close. Over 65 witnesses have been examined including the complainant. As per the record the only pending prosecution witness as of this morning was the investigation officer”.
“Originally, the Supreme Court of India had issued a direction to the Mapusa court to finish the trial by December 2020. Later on a plea of the prosecution seeking extension of time, the Supreme Court had posted the deadline for concluding the trial to March 31, 2021. So far the prosecution has made no mention of a fresh investigation in either the trial court or the Supreme Court. It is clear that as the case of the prosecution crumbles in court, they are resorting to extremely irregular and malafide tricks, sanctioned either by law or propriety”, Adv Rajiv Gomes claimed.
It may be recalled that in September 2017, the Additional and District Session Court Mapusa had framed charges against Tejpal under Sections 341, 342 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 354 (A) (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 (B) (assault or use of criminal force on a woman), 376 (rape) sub section (2)(f)(person in position of trust or authority over women, committing rape of such women) and 376 (2)(k) (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the women) but Tejpal has pleaded not guilty under all these sections.
