The Bombay High Court in Goa on Wednesday said it expects lawyers to “maintain courtesy while reading the evidence” in the 2013 rape and sexual assault case in which former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal was acquitted by a trial court on May 21. Had done it. Year. The court said that instead of reading the evidence, the lawyer could only “point to the paragraph number”.
“I am sure all the parties will maintain dignity while reading the evidence. You can only indicate the paragraph number, we will read it ourselves,” said Justice Revati Mohite Dere. He added, “Not only in this case, rape. We do not want the lawyers to read the evidence (aloud) in open court in all matters relating to
Opposing Tejpal’s plea seeking in-camera proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa government, said the trial court’s acquittal order was “regressive and regressive” and “appropriate for the fifth century”. ” Was. “The victim was literally on trial” and was “named and shamed,” he said.
A division bench of Justice Dere and Justice MS Jawalkar said it would not consider the application for in-camera hearing at this stage.
Tejpal’s lawyer Amit Desai told the court that he wanted to first argue the Goa government’s application seeking an appeal against the trial court’s May 21 order acquitting Tejpal. Desai said that on the day the appeal was filed, the Additional Public Prosecutor was not allowed to file it.
“Is that the only obstacle?” Justice Dere asked.
“But it is a very serious obstacle,” Desai said. He said investigation under the RTI Act revealed that when the appeal was filed on May 24, the state government did not allow the Additional Public Prosecutor to file an appeal under section 378 of CrPC.
In an additional affidavit on Wednesday, Tejpal said he had reason to believe that the application for appeal was filed on May 24, with the approval reaching the office of Additional Public Prosecutor Pravin Faldesai on May 31.
Tejpal’s affidavit said that the investigation conducted under the RTI Act revealed that on the day the appeal was filed, permission was sought from the state government. The Under Secretary (Home-1) had sent it to the Director General of Police (DGP) on May 27.
The court is likely to hear the matter next on November 16.
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