Panaji, September 14 (Daily Kiran) : Tarun Tejpal, the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka, surrendered to a Goa court on Monday and was subsequently taken to Kolavale Central Jail in North Goa. This follows his conviction in a 2013 rape case, where the Bombay High Court sentenced him to ten years in prison just weeks prior to his surrender.
On August 25, the Supreme Court instructed the 62-year-old journalist to surrender within two weeks before the hearing of his appeal against the conviction could commence. The court had dismissed his plea for immediate relief, clarifying that his appeal would only be considered after he submitted a surrender certificate.
Tejpal surrendered at the additional sessions court in Mapusa, complying with the Supreme Court’s directive. The court had previously granted him four weeks to surrender, as ordered on August 6.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Tejpal, argued that he had been on bail for most of the trial and is now a senior citizen. He referenced the Supreme Court Act of 1970, suggesting that the court could consider both the appeal and the plea for relief simultaneously.
In contrast, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed this argument, stating that the appeal could not be heard until Tejpal either surrendered and presented the certificate or was granted exemption from surrender.
After hearing both sides, Justice Alok Aradhe asked how much time Tejpal needed to surrender. Sibal requested two weeks, which the Supreme Court granted, instructing Tejpal to comply within that timeframe.
If Tejpal submits his surrender certificate by September 22, the court will schedule a hearing to review the merits of his appeal. The Goa government has also appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking an increase in the ten-year sentence imposed by the Bombay High Court.
On August 6, the Bombay High Court overturned a previous decision by a sessions court that had acquitted Tejpal. The court found him guilty of rape and other offenses under the Indian Penal Code.
The case stems from allegations made by a junior colleague, who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her in a hotel elevator during an event in Goa in November 2013. Following these accusations, Goa police filed an FIR against him, leading to his arrest after a local court denied his anticipatory bail application.
Tejpal was granted regular bail by the Supreme Court in July 2014. In May 2021, a sessions court acquitted him, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and highlighted deficiencies in the investigation. However, the Goa government challenged this decision in the Bombay High Court, arguing that the trial court misinterpreted the evidence presented.
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