File photo of Tarun Tejpal
The Supreme Court has granted an interim bail for three weeks to senior journalist Tarun Tejpal, who is currently behind bars in a Goa jail on charges of rape and sexual harassment, to attend his mother's funeral and perform her last rites.
Mr Tejpal's lawyer had moved the Apex Court earlier to seek an interim bail of a few days.
The Supreme Court bench hearing the case had said it will take a decision about granting bail after hearing the view of the Goa government's counsel, who was not present during the hearing.
Appearing before a bench of justices B S Chauhan and A K Sikri, Mr Tejpal's lawyer advocate Sandeep Kapur had sought its direction to release him to attend the cremation of his mother.
Mr Tejpal, 50, has been chargesheeted for allegedly raping, sexually harassing and outraging the modesty of a junior colleague during an event held at a hotel in Goa in November last year.
Mr Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013.
He has been accused of sexually assaulting the victim on November 7 and repeating the offence the next day. He is currently in judicial custody and lodged at Sada sub-jail in Goa's Vasco town.
Mr Tejpal's mother Shakuntala Tejpal died on Sunday evening, his lawyer said today.
She was suffering from brain tumour and was living in Mr Tejpal's house at Moira in North Goa.
"She expired last evening at Tejpal's Goa residence. The decision is yet to be taken whether the final rites would be conducted in Goa or Delhi," Mr Tejpal's lawyer Sandip Kapoor earlier told PTI.
The court had in the past granted permission to Mr Tejpal twice to meet his ailing mother, once in the hospital at Mapusa town and the second time at his residence in Goa.
Mr Tejpal was booked for allegedly raping his woman colleague during an event in the state and has been lodged in jail since November 30 last year, after his anticipatory bail was rejected by a local court.