PANAJI: Tarun Tejpal, former editor-in-chief of investigative magazine Tehelka, who was accused of sexually by a former female colleague was today acquitted by a sessions court in Goa.

Additional sessions judge Kshama Joshi pronounced the judgement after it was adjourned several times due to the pandemic. 

The court had earlier adjourned pronouncement of the verdict in the case on three occasions, citing various reasons. The court was to deliver the verdict on April 27, but the judge had adjourned it to May 12. On May 12, it was further adjourned to May 19 and then again it was again adjourned to May 21.

Advocate Suhas Velip, junior to advocate Rajiv Gomes, who represented Tejpal in the court, told reporters outside the court building, "The court has acquitted Tejpal of all the charges. A detailed order about it will be made available later in the day." Tejpal's advocate Gomes, who defended him throughout the case, died of COVID-19 last week.

Tejpal, was present in the court in Mapusa town near Panaji along with his family members when the judgment was pronounced in the morning and after coming out of the court building, Tejpal issued a written statement to the media which was read out by his daughter Tara.

Tejpal in his statement first thanked the court for what he called conducted a 'rigorous, impartial and fair trial and said that the past seven-and-a-half years had been traumatic for him and his family as they had to deal with the catastrophic fallout of these false allegations.

"We have felt the boot of the state, but all through it we have co-operated fully with the Goa police and the legal system, through hundreds of court proceedings," Tara read out his statement.

Tejpal was accused by a colleouge of sexual assault during a seminar called Think in Goa in November 2013, after which he admitted the misconduct, and offered to take six months leave, as penance, from Tehelka.

The Goa police filed a First Information Report (FIR) which listed charges, including rape, against himand he was arrested in November 2013, eight months later he was granted bail by Supreme Court.