Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: A Vacation Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the District and Sessions Court trying the Tarun Tejpal sexual assault case to redact the victim’s identity while uploading the acquittal order on its website.
The Single Bench of Justice SC Gupte has also granted 3 days’ time to the State, to amend the grounds of appeal against the acquittal order dated May 21, that was made available on May 25.
“Solicitor General seeks time to put the order on record and amend the grounds of appeal. He offers to do so in 3 days, we direct the state to amend the appeal accordingly. The hearing is on Wed, 2nd June 2021,” the Bench said while adjourning the matter.
He then requested the Court to keep the matter for next week. When the Court asked why it could not be heard in the normal course, he replied,
“Normally I would have bowed down. But in this case, there is so much in the judgment.. It is important for women to know that the High Court took immediate cognisance.”
The Court then took on record SG Mehta’s request to put the order on record and also amend the grounds in the appeal since the State received the judgment only on May 25.
The State clarified in its appeal that it did not have an ordinary or certified copy of the impugned judgment, as the same was not uploaded by the trial court.
On Tuesday, the State filed an appeal against the Tejpal acquittal on all charges by the District and Sessions Court at Mapusa, Goa. He was accused of forcing himself on the woman, against her wishes, inside an elevator of the Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, Goa on November 7 and 8, 2013, during the newsmagazine’s official event – the THINK 13 festival.
