Why did you apologise if sexual assault charges are false: SC asks Tarun Tejpal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked founder-editor of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal that why did he apologise to his former colleague if he claimed the sexual assault charges against him were false.

According to Tejpal’s lawyer the allegations of rape against the senior journalist were tailor-made and had no truth.

“If nothing had happened, you would not have sent apologies. Something inappropriate must have happened,” remarked Justice Arun Mishra, who was heading the three-judge bench, reported News18.

A junior colleague of Tejpal had accused him of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a five-star hotel in Goa during an event in 2013, triggering massive public outrage. He is currently out on bail.

After a Goa court ordered him to stand the trial, Tejpal moved the Supreme Court, seeking the charges of rape and wrongful confinement against him quashed.

Senior lawyer Vikas Singh, appearing for Tejpal, referred to the CCTV footages of the hotel lobby, argued that it was the complainant who could be seen running after him and that "she was the one who started everything". Singh added that anybody could make allegations like this in a lift.