Police to request for hearings on day-to-day basis
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Goa police will make a special request to the local Court to hold hearings in the Tarun Tejpal alleged sexual assault case on a day-to-day basis.
The Crime Branch on Monday filed a chargesheet against Tejpal for offences punishable under sections 354, 354 (A), 341, 342, 376, 376 (2) (F) and 376 (2) (k) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman colleague twice in a hotel lift on November 7-8, 2013.
At a press briefing, about three hours after the Crime Branch filed the chargesheet, which runs into 12 volumes, before the chief judicial magistrate on Monday, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr O P Mishra said if the request is allowed, the trial is likely to be completed within 60 days.
“Under the amended IPC section 309 (1) we are going to request the special public prosecutor to request the trial judge to carry out the trial on day-to-day basis… there is a provision under this section… If allowed,
the trial should be completed within 60 days from the date of filing the chargesheet,” he said.
Mishra informed the team travelled to Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Noida, Pune and Bangalore to collect evidence and record statements of witnesses during the investigation since an FIR was registered against Tejpal on November 22, 2013. He further emphasised that several civil society members had volunteered to cooperate with
the investigation and their statements were recorded.
The DIG commended investigating officer Sunita Sawant and the team saying the probe has been meticulously carried out covering all dimensions of the case including circumstantial and documentary evidence including statements of 152 primary and secondary
witnesses.
