The Supreme Court rejects journalist Tarun Tejpal’s plea seeking exemption from surrender in his 2013 rape case and orders him to surrender within two weeks. The court also directs him to furnish a surrender certificate to enable the proper processing of his appeal.
Outlets including The Hindu, NDTV, Mint, and others report that the order comes after the court declines to grant relief from surrender until the appeal is heard. The State of Goa, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had argued that Tejpal should surrender before his appeal is taken up. The bench also agrees to list Tejpal’s appeal challenging the Bombay High Court conviction for hearing on September 22, contingent on submission of the surrender certificate by then.
The case dates back to 2013, when a former colleague accused Tejpal of sexual assault at a hotel in Goa linked to a Tehelka-organised event. The Bombay High Court conviction imposed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence, which Tejpal is challenging before the Supreme Court.
