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Tarun Tejpal Moves Supreme Court Against Bombay HC's Conviction (Img: X)
New Delhi: Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court’s Goa bench verdict that convicted him in a 2013 rape case and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
Tejpal’s plea comes days after the High Court overturned his 2021 acquittal by a trial court and found him guilty of sexually assaulting a former colleague.
On August 6, the Bombay High Court’s Goa bench convicted Tejpal, holding that the trial court had failed to properly examine important evidence in the matter.
The High Court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for the offence and directed him to surrender. The deadline for surrender was later extended after a request from his legal team.
Meanwhile, the Goa government has also approached the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of Tejpal’s sentence from 10 years to life imprisonment.
The state has argued that the punishment awarded by the High Court was inadequate considering the seriousness of the allegations and the circumstances of the case. The government has maintained that its challenge is limited to the quantum of punishment and not the conviction itself.
The case relates to allegations of sexual assault against a junior colleague during an event organised by Tehelka in Goa in 2013. The incident allegedly took place inside a hotel elevator. Tejpal had denied the allegations and maintained that he was being targeted due to political reasons.
With both Tejpal and the Goa government approaching the Supreme Court, the matter will now be examined by the apex court. While Tejpal is seeking relief against his conviction and sentence, the state government has requested a stricter punishment.
