Tarun Tejpal acquitted of rape charges, thanks lawyer who died of Covid-19

Panaji:  The founder-editor of Tehelka magazine, Tarun Tejpal, has been acquitted of rape charges by a court in Goa. He was accused of sexually assaulting a colleague in 2013.

He was charged with rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement in 2017 by the trial court, which was challenged in the Supreme Court,.

Apex court had ordered the trial in Goa to continue.

According to NDTV report Tarun Tejpal’s daughter Cara Tejpal read out a statement on her father’s behalf, which said he was “falsely accused” of sexual assault.

“It is with profound respect that I thank this court for its rigorous, impartial and fair trial and for its thorough examination of CCTV footage and other empirical material on record,” said Mr Tejpal.

He thanked his lawyer Rajiv Gomes, who died of Covid-19.