Tarun Tejpal surrenders before Goa court to serve 10-year sentence

Tehelka's former editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal on Monday surrendered before a Goa court to serve a 10-year imprisonment sentence in connection with a sexual assault case of 2013. 

The Supreme Court had in August agreed to list his appeal against his conviction, provided he submits his surrender certificate by September 22.

On August 25, the Supreme Court had directed Tejpal to surrender within three weeks to undergo his 10-year prison sentence following his conviction by the Bombay High Court

Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before the Mapusa court in Goa on Monday in the 2013 rape case, following the Supreme Court’s order requiring him to surrender before his appeal against the conviction is taken up for hearing.Case Pertains To 2013 Sexual Assault AllegationsThe case pertains to allegations made by a female journalist who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator on November 7 and 8, 2013. Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, on those charges.Supreme Court Rejects Plea Seeking Exemption From SurrenderLast month, the Supreme Court rejected Tejpal's plea seeking exemption from surrendering before his appeal against the Bombay High Court judgment convicting him is listed in the top court and ordered him to surrender within three weeks.A bench of Justice Alok Aradhe also directed Tejpal to furnish the surrender certificate before the Court. The single-judge bench also agreed to list his criminal appeal on September 22, provided he submits the surrender certificate by then.Tejpal had sought exemption from surrendering on the ground that his appeal should first be listed and heard by the Supreme Court.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, argued that the Court has the power to dispense with the requirement of surrender in an appropriate case and list the criminal appeal even where the accused has not surrendered.Goa Government Opposes Exemption PleaSolicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State of Goa, opposed the plea and submitted that the exemption application had to be considered in light of the merits of the case.He relied on the findings of the Bombay High Court and submitted that the case involved an aggravated offence of rape for which Tejpal had been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.Justice Aradhe observed that the Court was considering the exemption plea precisely because it had the power to do so.Appeal To Be Listed On September 22 After Proof Of SurrenderSibal submitted that Tejpal's case involved a challenge to the High Court's reversal of his acquittal and that the merits of the appeal warranted consideration.The Court, however, made it clear that it had gone through the High Court judgment and asked both Tejpal and the State of Goa to confine their submissions to the question of exemption.Bombay High Court Convicts Former Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal In 2013 Goa Sexual Assault Case, Overturns 2021 Acquittal | Video The Court asked how much time Tejpal would require to surrender. Following the submission that three weeks would be required, the Court rejected the application seeking exemption and directed Tejpal to surrender within three weeks and furnish proof of surrender.The Court further directed that, if the surrender certificate is furnished, Tejpal's appeal against the Bombay High Court judgment will be listed on September 22.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Tejpal had challenged the high court’s verdict in the Supreme Court, which directed him to surrender within two weeks. The high court’s ruling on August 6 overturned his acquittal by a Goa sessions court in 2021 and convicted him of the offence. The Supreme Court’s direction means Tejpal must begin serving his sentence, subject to any further orders in his appeal.