GUWAHATI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case involving a former colleague, overturning a 2021 Goa trial court verdict that had acquitted him.
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A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar of the High Court's Goa Bench found the 62-year-old journalist guilty of rape, sexual harassment and using criminal force against a woman. The court is expected to pronounce the sentence later in the day.
Tejpal was convicted under provisions that carry a minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment.
Appearing before the court, Tejpal sought leniency on account of his age.
"I am 62, and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife. There's not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient with me," he told the court.
Opposing the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, urged the court to send a strong message against sexual violence.
"Despite the victim being a girl of his daughter's age, he committed an offence… He was a father figure and should not have indulged in this… This court must give out a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no," Mehta submitted.
The case stems from allegations made by a woman journalist, who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator on November 7 and 8, 2013, during an event in Goa.
The allegations against Tejpal, once one of India's most prominent investigative editors, triggered nationwide outrage. Shortly after the accusations surfaced, Tejpal described the incident as "a lapse of judgement" and "a misreading of the situation". As the investigation progressed, however, he denied the allegations and called for CCTV footage to be examined to establish what had occurred.
Tejpal was arrested in November 2013 and spent around seven months in jail before being granted bail by the Supreme Court. In May 2021, a Goa sessions court acquitted him, citing insufficient evidence, a verdict that was challenged by the Goa government before the Bombay High Court.
With Thursday's judgment, the High Court has reversed the acquittal, holding Tejpal guilty. He retains the right to challenge the conviction before the Supreme Court.