Supreme Court adjourned hearing in the sexual harassment case against Tarun Tejpal to October 15.
The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to October 15 hearing in the sexual harassment case against former Tehelka Magazine Editor Tarun Tejpal, after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted the victim was suffering from lung cancer.
A three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, fixed the matter for further hearing to October 15 after Mr Mehta, appearing for the Goa Police, submitted that the victim was suffering from lung cancer.
The bench also granted more time to Tejpal, accused in a 2013 sexual assault case, to file his response on a plea filed by the Goa Police, seeking an extention of time for completion of the trial against him.
In August last year, the top court had refused to dismiss the charges framed by a Goa trial court against Tejpal for allegedly sexually assaulting his former junior colleague in 2013.
Claiming innocence in the case, Vikas Singh, senior lawyer and former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) appearing for Tarun Tejpal, had submitted that the court should consider on point of charge against him, and sought quashing of the charges against him in the case.
Tarun Tejpal, the former Editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine and a veteran journalist, was accused of sexual assault by a female colleague in November 2013. He was arrested on November 30, 2013, and is currently on bail.
On September 29, 2017, a trial court in Goa had framed the charge of rape against Tejpal in connection with an alleged rape and sexual harassment case.
The court charged him under Sections 376(2) (rape), 354 A (sexual harassment) and 342 (wrongful confinement). But, Tejpal has claimed innocence and pleaded not guilty.
Tejpal had then moved the top court seeking the dismissal of the charges levelled against him, on which the Supreme Court had on August 6, reserved its order, and later refused to dismiss charges.