NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by journalist and former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal seeking exemption from surrendering in connection with a 2013 rape conviction, ordering him to turn himself in within two weeks. The apex court has also scheduled the formal hearing on his appeal against the conviction and 10-year prison sentence for September 22.
The case stems from allegations made by a junior colleague who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside an elevator at a luxury resort during the magazine’s annual ThinkFest event in Goa in November 2013. While a trial court had acquitted Tejpal in May 2021 citing reasonable doubt, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court overturned the acquittal on August 6, convicting him under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including provisions relating to rape and assault of a woman under his authority.
The High Court sentenced the 62-year-old former editor to 10 years of rigourous imprisonment alongside financial penalties, setting aside the previous judgment as legally flawed. Tejpal subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court to suspend the conviction order and secure relief from having to surrender to prison authorities while his legal challenge was being evaluated.
With the latest directive from the Supreme Court, Tejpal must report to custody within the stipulated two-week timeframe as his appeal remains pending before the judiciary. Throughout the legal proceedings, Tejpal has maintained his innocence and previously claimed he was the target of political victimisation.
