Goa: The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on an application of founder editor of Tehelka Tarun Tejpal, accused in woman journalist sexual assault case, to March 4, after applicant’s lawyer sought adjournment till Friday for a senior lawyer to appear.
In the changed circumstances of Goa Police having filed a charge sheet on Monday, Judge Mridula Bhatkar said, if the applicant desired, he could withdraw the application before the High Court and go back to lower court (Sessions Court) for seeking bail.
Referring to her Monday decision to post the hearing for Tuesday, Judge Bhatakar observed that she was unaware about the charge sheet. The police should have disclosed their decision to file the charge sheet in the Court on Monday, she said.
As the applicant has to produce a copy of the charge sheet to the Court ahead of next hearing, the police later said that Tejpal will be given a copy on February 24, when he would be produced in JMFC court for renewal of his judicial remand.
Please ask for CCTV footage; please ask for CCTV footage, he said, perhaps in an apparent reference to the statement in the charge sheet filed against him saying, “It is important to mention that there is no CCTV camera inside the lift.
Tejpal arrested by Goa Police on November 30, after his anticipatory bail was rejected by District Sessions Court, Panaji is presently lodged at Sada sub-jail in Vasco in south Goa in judicial custody. He has approached High Court seeking revision of an order of District and Sessions Court on January 15, rejecting his bail application.
The charge sheet filed against him by Crime Branch of Goa police on Monday charged him of rape, sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of his junior female journalist on two consecutive days in the elevator of a five star hotel in north Goa during the Thinkfest event of the magazine in early November last year.
Bureau Report
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