New Delhi, Jan 31 : Another Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, on Monday recused himself from hearing an appeal filed by veteran journalist and former Editor of Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal, challenging the order of Bombay High Court, which had rejected his application for in-camera hearing of the appeal filed by Goa against his acquittal.
“I recuse from hearing the appeal filed by the petitioner (Tarun Tejpal),” Justice Lalit said. Earlier, Justice L Nageswara Rao had recused himself from hearing the sexual assault case of 2013. In his petition filed before the Apex Court, Tejpal had said that the hearing at the Bombay High Court should be “in-Camera,” and not at all open to third parties.
A Trial Court in Goa on May 21, 2021 had acquitted the veteran journalist of all the charges levelled against him, including wrongful confinement, assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, sexual harassment and rape against his female colleague. Goa police had filed an appeal against the Trial Court order before the Bombay High Court. Tejpal also moved the High Court with an application seeking in-camera hearing of the matter. The High Court rejected his plea. According to the prosecution, Tejpal was accused of sexually assaulting a former colleague in an elevator of a hotel in Goa on November 7, 201
