Tejpal case: Victim cross-examined by defence in court

The woman who lodged a sexual assault case against Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal was cross-examined by the defence counsel in a Goa court for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.

The trial in the case is being held in-camera.

District judge Shama Joshi in Mapusa town of North Goa is hearing the case against Tejpal lodged by his former woman colleague.

"The cross-examination in the case resumed on Monday after being adjourned on October 23. It will continue till Thursday," public prosecutor Frasisco Tavora told reporters here.

Tejpal was present during the trial, he said.

The district court adjourned the trial last month after the victim was cross-examined for two days.

An in-camera hearing is conducted in private with only the judge, lawyers, accused, victim and witnesses concerned in attendance. The proceedings of such hearing are not made known to the media or members of the public.

A Supreme Court bench in August asked the Goa court to complete the trial in the case, preferably within six months, and refused Tejpal's plea to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him.

Tejpal allegedly sexually assaulted the complainant inside an elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa in 2013.

He has denied the allegations levelled against him.

Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013 by the crime branch after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the court. He has been out on bail since May 2014.

In September last year, the district court framed charges against Tejpal.

He was booked under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 350 (criminal force), 376 (rape) and 354(A) and (B) (sexually coloured remarks and use of criminal force on woman).

He had earlier moved the Bombay High Court, seeking a stay on the framing of charges against him, but his petition was dismissed.