Mumbai, August 6: The Bombay High Court has sentenced former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal to ten years of rigorous imprisonment for sexual assault against a junior colleague in 2013. The court overturned a previous acquittal, finding him guilty of rape and other offenses under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamdar announced the sentence, giving Tejpal two weeks to surrender to prison authorities.
Earlier, the bench led by Justice Gokhale accepted an appeal from the Goa government challenging the May 2021 decision of the Mapusa Sessions Court, which had acquitted Tejpal of all charges.
In its ruling, the Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal under IPC sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k) (rape), 354A (sexual harassment), and 354B.
During the sentencing hearing, Tejpal’s lawyer requested an eight-week stay on the sentence to appeal to the Supreme Court. The lawyer argued that the decision reversed the acquittal and emphasized that no other criminal cases were pending against Tejpal.
Tejpal also appealed for leniency, claiming he considered himself a victim and urged the High Court to adopt a sympathetic approach in determining his sentence.
In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for the necessity of sending a strong message against sexual violence. He stated, “When a girl says ‘no,’ it means ‘no.’”
The case involves allegations from a junior colleague, who claimed that during an event at a luxury hotel in Goa in November 2013, Tejpal sexually assaulted her in an elevator.
Goa police registered an FIR against Tejpal for multiple offenses, including rape. He was arrested in November 2013 after a local court denied his anticipatory bail plea.
In July 2014, the Supreme Court granted him regular bail. However, in May 2021, Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi acquitted Tejpal, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge also noted alleged shortcomings in the investigation, including the failure to present key evidence like CCTV footage. The Goa government challenged the acquittal in the Bombay High Court, arguing that the trial court misinterpreted the evidence on record.
During the appeal hearing, the prosecution contended that the Sessions Court focused more on the victim’s behavior and background rather than assessing the evidence against the accused. They also pointed out that crucial evidence, including an apology email allegedly sent by Tejpal when the complainant raised the allegations before the then-managing editor of the publication, was overlooked.
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