Tarun Tejpal
Justice LN Rao recuses from Supreme Court hearing on Tarun Tejpal
New Delhi/UNI: Supreme Court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao on Friday recused from hearing a plea filed by former Editor of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal.
Tejpal has challenged a Bombay High Court order that rejected his application for in-camera hearing of State of Goa's appeal against his acquittal in a 2013 sexual assault case.
A two-judge bench headed by Justice Rao and comprising Justice B R Gavai, was to hear the appeal filed by the senior journalist.
"I had appeared for the state in 2015. Please list this before some other court," Justice Rao said, and recused himself from the hearing.
Advocate Ankur Chawla will represent Tejpal.
Tejpal in his petition filed before the apex court has urged that the hearing before the high court should not be open to third parties.
A trial court in Goa on May 21, 2021 acquitted Tejpal of all charges levelled against him, including wrongful confinement, assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, sexual harassment and rape against his female colleague.
Following which, the Goa police filed an appeal against the trial court order before the high court.
Tejpal too moved the high court seeking in-camera hearing of the matter.
However, the high court rejected his plea, forcing him to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
According to the prosecution, Tejpal was accused of sexually assaulting a former colleague in an elevator of a hotel in Goa on Nov 7 and 8 of 2013.
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