PANJIM: District & Sessions Judge Sherin Paul will hold the trial against former Editor-in-Chief of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal in the alleged sexual assault case from October 21 to 23.
The hearing, which was expected to resume on September 30, 2019 in the Mapusa trial court, was transferred to the District Court, Panjim owing to the absence of a judge. The matter was placed before District and Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi during which Tejpal requested to postpone the hearing to November.
The judge turned down the request citing Supreme Court’s directions to complete the trial within six months and requested all the parties to cooperate without further delay. The judge, declining his request, had posted the matter “for appearance” before Judge Sherin Paul on October 7.
In August, the Supreme Court, while hearing Tejpal’s plea seeking relief in the 2013 case, had noted that sexual assault is a very serious offence and morally abhorrent case. Since the charges were framed six years ago, the Bench had observed that there can be no further delay and directed the Mapusa court to complete the trial within six months. Tejpal has been charged with sexually assaulting his junior colleague inside a lift of a resort where the magazine’s event was underway in November 2013.
