Goa, May 21: Tarun Tejpal, the founder and former editor-in-chief of ‘Tehelka’ was acquitted on May 21 2021, five years after the case was first filed. He was acquitted after the Sessions court of additional sessions court judge Kshama Joshi in Goa quashed all the charges filed against him in the rape case.

The journalist was accused of forcing himself on a colleague against her wishes inside an elevator of the Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, Goa, on November 7, 2013, during an official event. He had stepped down as editor for six months after being accused of sexual assault.

After the acquittal, Tejpal in a statement said, “In November 2013 I was falsely accused of sexual assault by a colleague and today trial court of additional sessions judge in Goa has acquitted me. In an awfully vitiated age where ordinary courage has become rare, I thank her for standing by the truth.”

Special public prosecutor Francisco Tavora said that the state will challenge Tejpal's acquittal in the high court. The case had witnessed many twists and turns. On November 7 and 8, 2013, Tejpal had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at an event organised by Tehelka at a starred hotel in North Goa. He was arrested on November 30 after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. He was granted interim bail on May 19, 2014, to attend the cremation of his mother and since then, had been out of jail.

The Goa Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Tejpal for various offences, including rape. He was arrested in November 2013 and later released on bail in July 2014.

The cross-examination of the survivor began on October 21, 2019. Earlier, Tejpal had, through a criminal revision application, challenged the framing of charges by the additional district and sessions court. On December 20, 2017, the high court of Bombay at Goa had dismissed Tejpal’s application.

Tejpal had been charged for offences under Sections 354, (assaulting or using criminal force on a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (outraging modesty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrong confinement), 376 (rape), 376(2) (f) (person in position of trust or authority over women, committing rape of such women) and 376(2)(k) (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the woman

After the verdict was pronounced in favour of the journalist, an official statement was released, wherein he thanked Congress leaders like Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal amongst others for helping him in the legal battle.

There have been many questions raised over this acquittal, whereupon the statement released by Tejpal’s family seems prepared even before the verdict. Many of the senior journalists like Kalpana Sharma have found this verdict to be delayed and wrong on part of the young woman journalist who had accused Tejpal of rape.