Tarun Tejpal moves Supreme Court to get bail after HC`s refusal

Panaji: Founder editor of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal who has been charged with allegedly raping a junior female journalist colleague during an event in Goa, has moved the Supreme Court seeking bail.

"The bail plea was filed yesterday before the Supreme Court," his advocate Sandip Kapoor told a news agency here today. The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court had already rejected a bail petition by Tejpal, who is currently in judicial remand and lodged at Sada sub-jail. Tejpal`s bail plea filed before the apex court mentioned that in this case, the trial is likely to take time and hence the accused should be freed on bail. The petition has cited the judge`s order which refused bail to Tejpal, saying that the trial would begin in two months. Tejpal`s petition has also stated that there are 152 prosecution witnesses who have to be cross examined by the court, due to which the trial is likely to get prolonged further. His petition is likely to come up for hearing next week.