Mapusa, Nov 22 (TOI): District and additional sessions court, Mapusa, on Tuesday adjourned the matter in the former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal case to January 9, 2018.

The prosecution and the defence expect that the high court proceedings in the case will be over by then and the trial in the case will begin.

The matter in the case was posted at the trial court at Mapusa on Tuesday for the status report of the high court proceedings of November 1.

Four years after Tehelka founder-editor was arrested in an alleged sexual assault case, Mapusa court on September 28 had charged him with rape of a junior colleague in a five-star hotel at Bambolim in November 2013. The Tehelka founder-editor had pleaded not guilty, paving the way for a trial in the case.

In September, Tejpal had, through a criminal revision application, challenged the September 7 order of the additional district and sessions court to frame charges on September 28. The high court of Bombay at Goa had declined to stay framing of charge, but said the trial would not begin till disposal of the application and asked the state to reply on Tejpal's plea on November 1.

"We have filed the application for the exemption of Tejpal's presence for today's hearing because he was unable to come today (Tuesday) and the court had granted exemption for the day. The next hearing is posted on January 9.," advocate Rajiv Gomes, representing Tejpal said.

"The matter in the high court is on December 12. Until the matter is decided , the trial cannot go ahead. ," special public prosecutor Francisco Tavora said.