Shocker! Tarun Tejpal’s Acquittal Overturned, Given 10 Years’ RI Now
FILE PHOTO: Tarun Tejpal has been accused of sexually assaulting his journalist colleague inside an elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa in 2013, during an event organised by Tehelka magazine
Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague, after the Bombay High Court overturned his acquittal and convicted him of rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Soon after the verdict, Tejpal told reporters that he would challenge the High Court’s decision before the Supreme Court.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar allowed the Goa government’s appeal against the May 2021 judgment of a sessions court in Mapusa, which had acquitted Tejpal of all charges.
Pronouncing the verdict, the Bench convicted Tejpal under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k) of the IPC relating to rape, along with Section 354A for sexual harassment and Section 354B for assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe a woman.
The case stems from allegations made by a junior colleague who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a luxury hotel in Goa during an event organised by Tehelka in November 2013.
Following the complaint, the Goa Police registered an FIR charging Tejpal with rape and other offences. He was arrested later that month after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a local court. In July 2014, the Supreme Court granted him regular bail.
In May 2021, Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi acquitted Tejpal, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The trial court also referred to alleged shortcomings in the investigation, including the non-production of certain evidence such as CCTV footage.
The Goa government challenged that acquittal before the Bombay High Court, arguing that the trial court had misread the evidence and had focused disproportionately on the complainant’s conduct after the alleged assault instead of evaluating the evidence against the accused.
The prosecution also contended that the sessions court failed to adequately consider important material, including an email in which Tejpal allegedly apologised after the complainant informed the publication’s then managing editor about the incident.
During the hearing on sentencing, Tejpal’s counsel urged the court to suspend the conviction for eight weeks to allow him to approach the Supreme Court. The defence argued that the High Court had reversed an acquittal after several years and submitted that Tejpal had no previous criminal record.
Addressing the Bench personally, Tejpal sought leniency while the sentence was being considered. “I consider myself a victim,” he told the court, appealing for a compassionate approach in determining the punishment.
Opposing the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the gravity of the offence warranted a strong judicial response.
“When a girl says no, it means no,” Mehta told the court, urging the Bench not to dilute the consequences of sexual violence.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the High Court sentenced Tejpal to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, marking a dramatic reversal of the 2021 acquittal and bringing one of India’s most closely watched #MeToo-era criminal cases to a significant legal milestone.
The High Court’s detailed judgment is awaited and is expected to set out the reasoning behind overturning the trial court’s acquittal. Tejpal has indicated that he will now move the Supreme Court to challenge both his conviction and sentence.
