Apex court judge recuses from hearing Tarun Tejpal's plea in sexual assault case

Supreme Court Judge Justice L Nageswara Rao on Friday recused himself from hearing the appeal of journalist Tarun Tejpal against the Bombay High Court's order rejecting his plea for an in-camera hearing of the proceedings challenging his acquittal in a 2013 rape case.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai is scheduled to hear the matter on Friday. Tejpal moved to the top court on December 4, last year, challenging the dismissal of his application by the high court. He contended that every party has a right to place forth their case in the best possible manner. The plea argued that it would not be fair, if lawyers have to curtail their submissions in the backdrop that some publications may publish something, without exercising due care.

The bench was to hear the plea of Tejpal whose application for conducting an in-camera hearing of the proceedings under Section 327 of the CrPC was rejected by the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on November 24 last year.

The acquittal of the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, who was accused of sexually assaulting his then-woman colleague in the lift of a five-star hotel in Goa in November 2013, by a sessions court in May 2021 was challenged in the Goa bench of the high court by the state government.

“I recuse as at some stage in 2016, I had appeared for the state of Goa in the matter. Let it be listed in some other court next week,” said Justice Rao, who was sitting with Justice B R Gavai on the bench.

Tejpal approached the court on December 4, last year, challenging the dismissal of his application by the Bombay High Court. His plea contended every party has a right to place forth their case in the best possible manner.

The plea argued that it would not be fair if lawyers have to curtail their submissions in the backdrop that some publishers may publish something, without exercising due care.

Tejpal sought an in-camera proceeding in his matter, relying upon a recent order by Bombay High Court which passed directions for in-camera hearings in cases under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act.

Senior advocate Amit Desai, who had appeared for Tejpal, had referred to the Law Commission and various judgements of high courts supporting his application for an in-camera hearing.

The high court, however, had rejected the submissions.

The court had granted Tejpal the "benefit of the doubt" in the absence of corroborative evidence to support the allegations made by the complainant.

Challenging Tejpal's acquittal, the state government had said that the court's judgement was "coloured by prejudice and patriarchy".

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Goa government, had argued that the judgement (of acquittal of Tejpal) by the district court is in the public domain.

"Section 327 applies for the purpose of inquiring into or trying any offence. It has limited application during inquiry or trial. The appeal is something very clear. Appeals, revisions, etc are neither investigation nor inquiry nor a trial," he had said.

The matter would now be placed before the Chief Justice of India for posting it for hearing before another bench.