- Bombay High Court convicted Tarun Tejpal in 2013 rape case.
- Court overturned his 2021 acquittal, finding him guilty.
- Tejpal called himself
- Court will later decide the quantum of his sentence.
Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal on Thursday described himself as a “political victim” after the Bombay High Court’s Goa bench overturned his acquittal and convicted him in the 2013 rape case involving a former colleague.
The High Court set aside the May 2021 acquittal by a sessions court and held the 62-year-old journalist guilty of raping his former junior colleague in the elevator of a luxury hotel in Goa. The court will hear arguments separately on the quantum of sentence.
Speaking after the verdict, Tejpal maintained that he had consistently presented his case over the past 13 years and said he would challenge the judgment before a higher court.
Tejpal Says He Will Appeal the Verdict
“I’m 62, and I believe I’m a political victim,” Tejpal told the court while seeking leniency ahead of sentencing.
“There are no facts that I can tell you now because for 13 years we have been putting facts out consistently in the courtrooms. Clearly, they don’t count for that much,” he said.
“I am a father to two daughters, I have a wife. All I can say is we can go and appeal,” Tejpal added.
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High Court Reverses Sessions Court Acquittal
A division bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamdar delivered the verdict on an appeal filed by the Goa government in 2022, overturning the sessions court’s May 21, 2021 judgment that had acquitted Tejpal.
“We have set aside the judgment and order and convicted Tejpal. We have convicted him under Sections 376(2)(f) and (k), 354A and 354B of the Indian Penal Code,” the bench said.
The conviction relates to provisions dealing with rape by a person in a position of authority or control, sexual harassment, and assault with intent to disrobe.
Case Dates Back to 2013 Allegations
The case stems from allegations made in November 2013, when Goa Police registered an FIR after a woman, who was then Tejpal’s junior colleague, accused him of sexually assaulting her inside the elevator of a five-star hotel during the Tehelka ThinkFest in Goa.
Following his arrest, the Goa Crime Branch filed a chargesheet accusing Tejpal of offences including wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, sexual harassment and rape by a person in authority. He was granted bail in May 2014 and subsequently stood trial.
In May 2021, a sessions court acquitted Tejpal of all charges, with Judge Kshama Joshi holding that the prosecution had failed to provide corroborative evidence and extending the benefit of doubt to the accused.
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State Sought Maximum Punishment
The Goa government challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court, arguing that the trial court had erred in its appreciation of the evidence.
After hearing final arguments last month, the High Court allowed the state’s appeal and reversed the acquittal.
Following the conviction, the prosecution urged the court to impose the maximum sentence on Tejpal. The High Court will hear the parties separately before deciding the quantum of punishment.
