Panaji: Tehelka magazine Founder – Editor Tarun Tejpal was acquitted by a court in Goa on Friday of charges of raping a former colleague eight years ago. The Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the Goa Government will challenge the order before the High Court. The Goa CM said it was studying the order.

We will not tolerate any injustice to be meted out to women in Goa. We will challenge the district court order before the High Court soon.

Tehelka Editor was accused of sexually assaulting the young woman in an elevator of a five-star resort in Goa during an event in 2013. He was arrested the same year. The Trial Court charged him with rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement in 2017; he challenged the charges first in the Bombay High Court and later in the Supreme Court. The SC ordered that the trial in Goa must continue.

Tarun Tejpal was present along with his family in the Court in Mapusa, when the not guilty verdict was announced. Cara Tejpal, daughter of Tarun Tejpal read out a statement on her father’s behalf, which said he was falsely accused of sexual assault. It is with profound respect that I thank this court for its rigorous, impartial and fair trial and for its thorough examination of CCTV footage and other empirical material on record.

He also thanked his lawyer Rajiv Gomes, who died of Covid – 19 last week. Tejpal speaking to the media persons after announcement of the judgement said that it’s been a long nightmare for my family. I’m relieved that it is finally over and I’m very grateful to have received justice because it is not always the given thing in this country anymore.

The Tehelka allegations exploded with the leak of a series of emails in which the woman complained to her seniors at Tehelka and Tejpal. He stepped down as Tehelka Editor soon after, saying he was recusing himself for six months.

He was arrested on in November 2013. He has been out on bail since May 2014. In a 2,684-page chargesheet filed before the Goa fast-track Court, the police had said there was enough evidence against him.