Tejpal case appeal hearing adjourned as Goa seeks trial in virtual mode

Panaji, Aug 31 The Bombay High Court's Panaji bench on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the state government's appeal against the acquittal of Tehelka magazine's former Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal, by three weeks, in order to facilitate it via video conference, following a request made by the state.

Goa Advocate General Devidas Pangam requested the court to adjourn the matter, stating that the state government had proposed to move an application to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court seeking that the hearing may be conducted via "virtual mode".

"At the request of the learned counsel for the parties, this matter is now posted on September 20, 2021," a bench of Justices M.S. Sonak and M.S. Jawalkar said.

The state has engaged Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta to represent itself in the High Court in the high profile case and Mehta himself had also urged the Court during the last hearing to facilitate an online hearing in the matter.

Tejpal was charged against under Sections 376 (rape), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354A (sexual harassment), and 354B (criminal assault), of the Indian Penal Code, after a junior colleague accused him of rape at a five star resort in Goa in 2013.

On May 21, he was acquitted by the trial court in Goa citing "benefit of doubt", following which an appeal was filed by the state government.