Mr. Tejpal was accused of raping his colleague in an elevator of a five-star hotel. He was arrested on November 30, 2013, by the Goa Crime Branch and was granted bail on July 1, 2014, by the Supreme Court.

In February 2014, the Goa Crime Branch filed a 2,846-page chargesheet against Mr. Tejpal.

Tejpal describing it as “a long-fought for vindication” in a statement read out by his daughter Cara outside the court in Goa.

“In November 2013 I was falsely accused of sexual assault by a colleague. Today the Hon’ble Trial Court of  Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi, in Goa, has honourably acquitted me. In an awfully vitiated age, where ordinary courage has become rare, I thank her for standing by the truth,” Tejpal said.

A sessions court in Goa had adjourned the hearing on Wednesday and posted it for May 21 due to lack of staff in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, Tejpal was present in the court along with some of his family members and lawyers.

Special judge Kshyama Joshi pronounced the judgment, and the reasons for acquittal will be known in due course of time.

On September 29, 2017, the court framed charges against him under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The trial commenced in March 2018 but got interrupted due to several factors, one of them being Mr. Tejpal seeking a discharge in the case, for which he first moved the sessions court, then the High Court and later the Supreme Court.

In August 2019, the top court declined his plea and ordered that the trial be held in-camera (not open to the public) and be completed in six months.

The trial finally began on December 7, 2020, and the survivor was examined and cross-examined for an entire month till January 7, 2021, by physical appearance and through video-conferencing.

The prosecution examined 71 witnesses and the defense had four witnesses, including family members of both the accused and the survivor. The trial concluded at the end of February 2021 and, after final arguments were made by both sides, the judgment was reserved.

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Then-Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has summarily rejected the charge that he molested Cynthia D. Ritchie at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad.

She has also accused then Pakistan Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin of physically assaulting her on a different occasion. Cynthia D. Ritchie was said to be really close to Makhdoom Shabuddin at the time of the incident.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said it was a disgrace to respond to the allegation . US blogger Cynthia D Ritchie claimed that Rehman Malik, then Pak interior minister, raped her. She also accused former PM Yousaf Gilani and former minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin of manhandling her.

A person of my stature cannot think of it. I may have gone to Presidency to meet the president or with a delegation, and how could such nonsense thing happen there,” he said as his party battled with the questions raised by Cynthia D. Ritchie in a video on Facebook.

“Can a prime minister ever commit such an act at the Aiwan-e-Sadr,” he asked, “Who gave her the right to accuse politicians like this?”

“I am not worried about what was said about me. I am more concerned about the baseless accusations leveled at Shaheed Benazir,” Yousaf Raza Gilani said responding to the allegations against him. Cynthia D. Ritchie has made several remarks about the assassinated Prime Minister and PPP icon Benazir Bhutto’s sex life and her fascination for sex toys and young boys.

Cynthia D. Ritchie’s charges have drawn support from many on social media as #CynthiaPrideofPakistan trended on Twitter soon after she spoke about the sexual assault. Members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have come out in support of her.

The other Opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) has not revealed its stance and is feared to be the next target of Cynthia’s plan to expose the Opposition. She has promised to expose PML(N) as well. She has made it clear that PPP leaders were not the only ones who indulged in sexual exploitation of women.

Cynthia D Ritchie said, “My story is deeply emotional. Even my family has not known until now. I’ve tried to be positive & promote the softer side of Pakistan but have also experienced the very bad. I wish to tell my truth one time so that women, transgenders, locals can understand they are not alone.”

“This is not an indictment of PPP, as I have been mistreated by men from various parties,” she posted this on Twitter, adding, “However the majority of my cases, including two more (I) have not mentioned were either Pakistani lobbyist or second-tier PPP.”

“Many loved BB, and the original message I was trying to convey was this was disgusting language used by men about BB who seem to be obsessed with raping women or enjoy telling fantasized stories of rape to women. The rape culture must stop. Women must work together to educate children re: what’s not ok & defend themselves against predators,” she wrote.

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