Panaji:

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the state government will challenge in the high court journalist Tarun Tejpal’s acquittal in a 2013 rape case by a district court in state capital Panaji.

A sessions court at Mapusa on Friday acquitted Mr Tejpal of sexually assaulting his former female colleague in an elevator of a five star resort in Goa.

Talking to reporters, Mr Sawant said, “We will not tolerate any injustice to be meted out to the women in Goa. We will challenge the district court’s order before the high court soon in this case.”

He said he has personally discussed the issue with the public prosecutor and the investigating officer in the case about challenging the verdict in the high court.

Mr Sawant claimed that there was enough evidence against the accused.

The Goa police had registered an FIR against Tarun Tejpal in November 2013, following which he was arrested.

The Goa crime branch had filed a charge sheet against Mr Tejpal, who has been out on bail since May 2014.

He faced the trial under various IPC sections 341 like wrongful confinement, assault and sexual harassment.