Tarun Tejpal sexual assault case: SC judge recuses from hearing

Supreme Court judge, Justice L. Nageswar Rao on Monday recused himself from hearing the sexual assault case against Tehelka Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal.

The case will now be heard by a new bench of the top court. However, the next date of hearing has not been decided yet Tejpal has been indicted of sexually assaulting a junior woman colleague inside a lift at Hotel Grand Hyatt during an event organised by the Tehelka magazine in Goa in November. He has also been charged and booked under the various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The charges against him are 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354-b (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe), 341 and 342 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 376 (rape), 376C (sexual intercourse by person in authority), 376(2)(f) (person in position of trust or authority over women, committing rape of such women) and 376(2) (k) (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the woman).