The Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case filed by a former junior colleague, overturning the Goa sessions court’s 2021 acquittal.
A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar held Tejpal guilty under Sections 376(2)(f), 354A and 354B of the Indian Penal Code. The court later sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment and granted him two weeks to surrender.
The conviction came after the Goa government challenged the trial court’s acquittal, arguing that the lower court had wrongly assessed the complainant’s conduct instead of focusing on the evidence.
Court Sentences Tejpal to 10 Years
Following the conviction, Tejpal requested the court to show leniency.
“I am 62 years old today. I am a father of two daughters. I have a wife. I am a political victim,” he told the court while pleading for a lighter sentence.
His lawyer, senior advocate Aabad Ponda, sought the minimum punishment and requested the court to suspend the conviction for a few weeks to allow Tejpal to approach the Supreme Court. He argued that Tejpal had remained on bail throughout the trial and had complied with all court conditions.
The High Court, however, sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
Goa Government Sought Maximum Punishment
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa government, urged the court to impose the maximum punishment, saying the case required a strong message against sexual violence.
“The convict was in a position of dominance over the victim. The victim was not just a colleague but also a friend of his daughter. The convict has shown no remorse,” Mehta argued.
He added, “It is high time to send a clear message that ‘no means no’.”
The state also argued during the appeal that the trial court had effectively “put the victim on trial” by relying on assumptions about how a survivor should behave after a sexual assault. It said important evidence, including Tejpal’s apology email, had not been properly appreciated.
Case Dates Back to 2013 ThinkFest Event
The case relates to an incident in November 2013, when a former junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting and raping her inside a hotel elevator during Tehelka magazine’s ThinkFest event in Goa.
After the allegations surfaced, Tejpal stepped down as editor, and Goa Police registered a case. He was arrested later that month and spent several months in jail before being granted bail by the Supreme Court.
In 2021, a Goa sessions court acquitted Tejpal, citing lack of corroborative evidence and inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony. The Goa government appealed that verdict before the Bombay High Court.
Tejpal to Challenge Verdict in Supreme Court
After the judgment, Tejpal said he would challenge the conviction before the Supreme Court.
“We will be appealing against this order. We feel the order is wrong. We will be moving to the Supreme Court against the order,” he told reporters.
The High Court’s verdict marks a major development in one of India’s most high-profile sexual assault cases involving a senior journalist, nearly 13 years after the alleged incident.
