The Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal in 2013 rape of colleague and outraging modesty of woman, sets aside trial court verdict which had acquitted him. The High Court overturned a trial court’s 2021 acquittal of journalist Tarun Tejpal in a sexual assault case, allowing an appeal filed by the Goa government.
A division bench comprising Justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar delivered the judgment after hearing detailed arguments from both sides. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta appeared for the Goa government and sought to have the acquittal set aside, while senior advocate Abad Ponda represented Tejpal.
Addressing the court after his conviction, Tejpal sought leniency and requested time to appeal against the judgment. “I am 62 and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife and there is not much else to say. All I can say is that we can appeal. Please be lenient with me. The remaining facts are on record,” Tejpal told the court.
After the High Court convicted Tejpal, Mehta sought his immediate arrest and urged the bench to send a clear message that a woman’s refusal must be respected.
“Despite the victim being his daughter’s age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure to the victim and should not have indulged in this crime,” Mehta told the court. “The victim refused, but he kept advancing. This court must send a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no,” he added.
2017 Trial
During the appeal hearing, Mehta argued that the sessions court had erred by assessing the complainant’s conduct on the basis of preconceived notions about how a survivor of sexual assault should behave.
In its acquittal order, the trial court had said the complainant did not display the “normative behaviour” that a survivor of sexual assault “might plausibly show”.
Mehta argued that there was no universal standard for how a survivor should react, as responses could vary depending on a person’s education, personality, social background and circumstances.
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Tarun Tejpal Sexual Assault Case
The case arose from allegations by a former junior colleague who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator during the ThinkFest event in Goa in November 2013.
The trial began before a court in Mapusa in 2017. Tejpal was acquitted in 2021, following which the Goa government challenged the verdict before the High Court.
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