Tarun Tejpal Sentenced to 10 Years in Jail After Bombay HC Conviction in 2013 Sexual Assault Case
Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Bombay High Court after being convicted in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague.
The court granted Tejpal two weeks to surrender. Reacting to the verdict, the 62-year-old maintained that he was innocent, describing himself as a “victim of politics”, and said he would challenge both his conviction and sentence before the Supreme Court.
“This is a wrong case against me. We will fight back and I have faith in the judiciary,” Tejpal told reporters outside the courtroom. He also claimed there was enough evidence in his favour to secure an acquittal.
Court Overturns 2021 Acquittal
The sentence follows the Bombay High Court’s decision to overturn Tejpal’s acquittal by a Goa sessions court in 2021. The High Court held him guilty of sexually assaulting a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator during the Tehelka ThinkFest held in Goa in November 2013.
During the sentencing hearing, Tejpal sought leniency, citing his age and family circumstances.
“I have a wife. I am 62 years old,” he told the court while requesting a lighter sentence.
‘No Means No’: Solicitor General’s Argument
Appearing for the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the court to send a strong message on consent while arguing against the earlier acquittal.
“When a girl says no, it means no,” Mehta submitted, adding that Tejpal, who was in a position of authority and significantly older than the complainant, had violated the trust placed in him.
He argued that the judgment should reinforce the principle that refusal must be respected, regardless of the relationship between the accused and the victim.
Case Dates Back to 2013
The case relates to allegations that Tejpal sexually assaulted a junior colleague inside an elevator at a luxury hotel in Goa during the Tehelka ThinkFest in November 2013.
In May 2021, a Goa sessions court acquitted him, citing inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony and extending him the benefit of doubt.
The Goa government challenged that verdict before the Bombay High Court, which reversed the acquittal, convicted Tejpal, and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Tejpal has said he will appeal the verdict before the Supreme Court.
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