Bombay High Court convicts Tarun Tejpal in 2013 sexual assault case, overturns acquittal

The Bombay High Court convicted Tarun Tejpal of rape and outraging modesty. This decision overturned his prior acquittal by a Goa trial court. The case began in November 2013 after a junior colleague made accusations. Tejpal was arrested and spent time in custody before receiving bail. The court's ruling came more than thirteen years after the alleged incident.

Tejpal, the former editor-in-chief of ‘Tehelka’ magazine, was accused of raping a junior colleague in an elevator.

Goa Bench said it would pronounce its order on sentencing in the afternoon; Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa govt., sought the maximum punishment to send a strong message that “no means no”

The Bombay High Court’s Goa bench on Thursday found former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal guilty of rape, setting aside the sessions court verdict that had cleared him four years ago. Tejpal has asked the bench to take a lenient view before it pronounces the quantum of sentence in the afternoon.The case dates to November 2013, when a journalist working at the magazine alleged that Tejpal assaulted her on two consecutive nights. The sessions court dismissed the charges in 2021, reasoning that the complainant’s conduct after the incident did not match what it considered the expected reaction of someone who had been sexually assaulted. It pointed to messages she sent Tejpal afterwards as evidence that she showed no signs of fear or trauma, and treated this as fatal to the prosecution’s case. The Goa government appealed that decision.The state described the court’s handling of the case as deeply troubling, saying the judge had effectively invented a template for how a survivor ought to behave.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Goa, submitted that the proceedings had inverted the roles of accused and complainant. He objected to the line of cross-examination she faced – questions probing her views on consensual sex, drinking and smoking, and on the tenor of private exchanges with friends – arguing that such material was neither relevant nor something the judge should have weighed.Tejpal’s side challenged the appeal, contending that the complainant’s account contained inconsistencies and fell short of the reliability standard courts apply to a witness whose testimony can stand alone. His lawyers relied on hotel CCTV recordings, saying the footage contradicted claims that he had pulled or dragged her into the elevator.Mehta countered by pointing to an email Tejpal sent the woman in the days after the alleged assault, in which he expressed remorse and referred to a failure of judgment. That message, the state argued, was in effect an acknowledgment that something had occurred between them.In times of misinformation, you need news you can trust. We’ve got you covered. Subscribe to Newslaundry and power our work.Before HC convicted him: How Tejpal was given access to the victim’s personal chats to build his defence

The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court overturned a 2021 trial court verdict clearing Tejpal of all charges.

Provorim: The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 alleged sexual assault case filed by his junior colleague.The Bombay High Court's Goa bench was delivering the verdict on the Goa government's appeal challenging the acquittal of Tejpal in the alleged sexual assault case by the Goa Sessions Court in 2021.#WATCH | Panaji, Goa | Tehelka magazine Founder Tarun Tejpal leaves from the court premises, after being convicted in the 2013 sexual assault case by Bombay High Court at Goa. The pronouncement of sentence at 1430 hours today. pic.twitter.com/4pPTMnXRZG— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2026 The case pertains to allegations made by a woman journalist, who had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator on November 7 and 8, 2013. Tejpal was arrested on November 30 in 2013 on the charges.On September 29, 2017, the court had charged him with various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement. He, however, pleaded not guilty.Following the framing of charges, Tejpal had moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the charges levelled against him. The top court refused to quash the charges and directed the trial to be concluded within six months.Delhi HC Orders Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal & 2 Others To Pay ₹2 Crore Damages For Defaming Army Officer In 2001 Sting Operation In May 2021, the Goa sessions court had acquitted Tejpal of all charges, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The trial court noted the absence of medical evidence and relied on messages exchanged between the complainant and Tejpal, concluding that they did not support the prosecution's claim that she had been traumatised by the alleged assault.The Goa government had then challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court, seeking to have the trial court's judgment set aside.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)