Crime News / Tehelka Founder Tarun Tejpal Gets 10 Years of Rigorous Imprisonment for Raping Junior Colleague

Panaji, Aug 6: The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday sentenced Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him in the 2013 rape case involving a former junior colleague.

The court set aside a 2021 trial court judgment that had acquitted him and directed Tejpal to surrender before Goa Police within two weeks.

A detailed copy of the High Court's judgment is awaited.

A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar convicted Tejpal under Sections 376(2)(f), 376(2)(k), 354A and 354B of the Indian Penal Code.

Appeal Before Supreme Court
Following his conviction, Tejpal approached the Supreme Court seeking suspension of the High Court's order. His counsel requested that the sentence be stayed to allow him to challenge the conviction.

The High Court granted Tejpal two weeks to surrender, providing time to pursue legal remedies before the Supreme Court.

Tejpal Seeks Leniency
Addressing the court before sentencing, Tejpal sought leniency, citing his age.

"I am 62, and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife, and that'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.

Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, appearing for Tejpal, argued that the alleged offence dated back 13 years and that no other criminal case had been registered against his client. He also noted that Tejpal had already spent about six months in custody.

State Opposes Relief
Appearing for the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed any leniency, arguing that Tejpal had abused a position of trust.

Mehta told the court that the complainant was of his daughter's age and said the case should send a clear message that "when a girl says no, it means no."

Also Read: Elderly Man Rapes Minor Great-Niece in Odisha's Puri District, Arrested

Case Background
The case stems from allegations that a former Tehelka employee was sexually assaulted by Tejpal inside an elevator at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Bambolim, Goa, during the magazine's ThinkFest event in November 2013.

Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, and was later granted bail by the Supreme Court. The trial began in 2017, and in 2021 a Goa sessions court acquitted him of all charges. The Goa government challenged that acquittal before the Bombay High Court, which has now overturned the trial court's verdict.

During the High Court proceedings, the prosecution argued that the trial court had failed to properly appreciate the evidence, including an apology email sent by Tejpal to the complainant. The defence contended that the email was not an admission of guilt and disputed the allegations. The High Court ultimately rejected the defence's arguments and convicted Tejpal.