Tarun Tejpal, former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, was today acquitted of all charges in the rape and sexual assault case brought by a woman employee in 2013.
“He is acquitted,” Goa additional sessions judge Kshama Joshi said while pronouncing the judgement, which was reserved last month. At Tejpal’s insistence, the hearing was held in camera and the press wasn’t allowed to cover it. The full judgement is yet to be released.
Tejpal was charged with rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful restraint after a complaint was registered against him by the Goa police in November 2013. Tejpal has always denied the allegations.
The journalist, in a press release this morning, spoke about his “long fight for vindication”, and thanked the judge for showing the “rare courage” of standing by the truth in this “awfully vitiated age”.
Statement from the Tejpal family: pic.twitter.com/A48jgednyS
— Smita (@smitagnair) May 21, 2021
Women journalists took to Twitter to express dismay at the verdict.
A ‘fast track’ court takes more than 7 years and then delivers this judgment. What hope is there for survivors of sexual assault and harassment with such a criminal justice system! https://t.co/bvFZF0ml7M
— Kalpana Sharma (@kalpana1947) May 21, 2021
Look closely at this.
— Supriya Sharma (@sharmasupriya) May 21, 2021
So confident was Tarun Tejpal of an acquittal that he kept his public statement ready on May 19, when the verdict was expected to be pronounced. https://t.co/iABtqHdnTz pic.twitter.com/aXxlmAS9V3
Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal acquitted in 2013 rape case. Waiting to read the order. But horrible this is https://t.co/y30i6lLbLN
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) May 21, 2021
What happened to this: "I apologise unconditionally for the shameful lapse of judgement that led me to attempt a sexual liaison with you on two occasions.."
— geeta seshu (@geetaseshu) May 21, 2021
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