The Court permitted the State to add additional grounds in the appeal memo, as the May 21 judgment of the Sessions Court was only received on May 25.
The Bombay High Court's Goa Bench on Thursday ordered the Additional Sessions Judge who acquitted former Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal of rape allegations to redact references in the ruling to the identities of the prosecutrix and her family members.
After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta brought it to the Court's attention that the ruling revealed the prosecutrix's identity by making references to her email id and her husband's name, Justice SC Gupte issued the order.
"The order which is made available to this court, and which the court is informed is not yet uploaded on the website, contains reference to the victim’s husband and her email id. Considering the law against disclosure of identity of victim in offence such as the one here. It is directed to the trial court to redact the two references to the victim’s husband and her email id in the judgment while uploading the judgment. So also the reference to the name of the mother of the prosecutrix mentioned therein may be redacted," the High Court ordered.
The same was directed by the Court in the State of Goa's appeal against Tejpal's acquittal in the case. It also allowed the State to include new grounds in the appeal letter, as the Sessions Court's May 21 verdict was only received on May 25.
In this case, the State was represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Advocate General Devidas Pangam. SG Mehta began by pointing out that the complainant's identity, as well as the victim's husband's name and email address, are all revealed in the Sessions Court order. In light of the fact that the victim sought the advice of Senior Advocate Indira Jaising before disclosing her identity,
On the fact that the victim approached Senior Advocate Indira Jaising before giving her statement, SG Mehta said,"According to me it was right, approaching a lawyer of her repute...then there are submissions that this may have led to doctoring of events. To accuse a lawyer of her stature of doctoring?"