Panaji: Former Tehelka magazine editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before a Goa court on Monday to begin serving his 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence in a 2013 sexual assault case. The development comes weeks after the Bombay High Court convicted him, overturning his earlier acquittal by a trial court.
Tejpal appeared before the Additional Sessions Court at Mapusa and was subsequently taken into custody. He has been sent to the Central Jail at Colvale in North Goa. While being escorted by authorities, Tejpal briefly addressed the media, stating, “I just want to say we are in the Supreme Court and are sure that justice will come.”
His surrender complies with an August 25 directive from the Supreme Court, which had given him a three-week deadline to turn himself in. A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Alok Aradhe had explicitly rejected Tejpal’s plea seeking exemption from surrendering while his appeal was pending.
The apex court has scheduled the hearing for his appeal against the conviction on September 22, provided he submits his surrender certificate by September 21.
The case traces back to November 2013, when a junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside an elevator at a five-star hotel in Goa during the magazine’s annual ‘Think’ festival.
Following a prolonged legal battle, a Mapusa trial court had acquitted Tejpal of all charges in May 2021, citing that the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the Goa government quickly challenged the acquittal.
On August 6 this year, the Bombay High Court at Goa reversed the lower court’s decision, heavily relying on the survivor’s testimony, CCTV footage, and subsequent email exchanges. Tejpal was found guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 376(2)(f) (rape committed by a person in a position of trust or authority). In addition to the 10-year sentence, the High Court imposed a fine of over Rs 10 lakh, directing that the amount be paid to the survivor.
While Tejpal has moved the Supreme Court challenging his conviction, the Goa government has simultaneously filed a petition in the apex court seeking to enhance his sentence to life imprisonment, arguing that the current punishment is disproportionate to the gravity of the offence.