Former Tehelka magazine editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before a Mapusa court in Goa on Monday. The court sent him to Colvale Central Jail in North Goa, where he will serve a 10-year sentence.
On 25 August, the Supreme Court rejected his plea for exemption from surrender and ordered him to surrender within three weeks. The court said it would hear his appeal on 22 September.
Tarun Tejpal had reached the Bombay HC on August 6, the day of the verdict.
Rape allegation by a junior during a magazine event
The rape case against Tarun Tejpal dates back to 2013. Tejpal was accused of raping a junior female colleague in a hotel elevator during an event for his magazine in Goa. The victim was also a journalist.
The victim complained to Tehelka, FIR registered… understand the whole matter
The female journalist initially complained by emailing Tehelka’s managing editor, Shoma Chaudhury, demanding a written apology, an admission of the incident in front of the entire staff, and the formation of an internal Sexual Harassment Complaints Committee (ICC).
After the matter became public knowledge, the Goa Police took suo motu cognizance, filed an FIR, and launched an investigation. The investigation gathered evidence, including CCTV footage, emails, and witness statements.
Tejpal was subsequently arrested on 30 November, 2013. He was granted bail after spending several weeks in custody.
In 2021, the trial court had acquitted him, but the Bombay HC reversed the decision
On 6 August, the Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal in the 2013 rape case, overturning a 2021 acquittal by the Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa and sentencing him to 10 years in prison.
The Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa acquitted Tejpal of all charges in May 2021. The court had said that the prosecution could not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The Goa government subsequently challenged the verdict in the Bombay High Court, alleging that the trial court had not properly assessed the evidence presented in the case.
On August 6, the Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal in the 2013 rape case, overturning a 2021 acquittal by the Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa and sentencing him to 10 years in prison.
Tarun Tejpal was arrested on 30 November 2013.
CCTV footage and emails were also considered important evidence
Apart from the woman’s testimony, the High Court relied on other evidence including CCTV footage and email conversations that took place after the incident.
The court also criticized the trial court’s approach to the complainant’s behavior. The High Court stated that the victim cannot be expected to behave like a predetermined “ideal victim.”
A fine of more than 10 lakh rupees
Tejpal was convicted under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 376(2)(f), 354(a), and 354(b). Section 376(2)(f) carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The High Court imposed a fine of over 10 LAKH rupees on Tejpal and ordered him to pay the amount to the victim.
Both Tejpal and the Goa government approached the Supreme Court
On 20 August, Tejpal filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision. The Goa government also sought an increase in his sentence to life imprisonment.
The government says that considering the gravity of the crime, the 10-year sentence given by the High Court is not enough.
While doing journalism, he also became a publisher
Tejpal is a renowned journalist, author, and novelist with over 30 years of experience in journalism.
He also started his own publishing company, India Inc., which published Arundhati Roy’s 1998 novel, “The God of Small Things,” which won the Booker Prize.
After leaving Outlook, in March 2000, he started the online investigative website ‘Tehelka.com’ along with another journalist Aniruddha Bahal.
In 2004, it was converted into a tabloid newspaper, while in 2007 it was converted into a magazine.
