SC rejects Tarun Tejpal’s plea to quash sexual assault case, calls it a ‘morally abhorrent’ offence

The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea filed by former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal seeking to quash charges of sexual assault levelled against him. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra directed the Goa’s lower court to complete the trial within six months.

Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a woman employee at an event in Goa in 2013. Tejpal claimed the allegations are false.

Bar and Bench reports: “The case made by the complainant was attempted to be disproved by Tejpal’s counsel before the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh. It was argued that the version of the complainant did not match the the CCTV footage of the hotel lobby. Singh argued that in the absence of any footage from inside the elevator, anyone could make all kinds of allegations.”

While quashing Tejpal’s plea, the Supreme Court called the case “very serious” and “morally abhorrent”.