Tarun Tejpal, Tehelka founder, gets 10-year jail for raping employee in 2013
The Bombay High Court overturned the acquittal of Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal and convicted him of rape in the 2013 case. The Goa government had appealed against Tejpal's acquittal.
The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court handed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment to Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal after convicting him of raping a junior colleague at a Goa resort 13 years ago. Setting aside the 2021 judgment of the trial court that had acquitted him, the High Court directed Tejpal to surrender before Goa Police within four weeks.
The High Court, however, did not cite any reason for the verdict. A detailed order in the case is awaited. The case dates back to November 2013, when a Tehelka employee accused Tejpal of raping her in the elevator of a Goa resort during the magazine's annual Thinkfest event.
The High Court's quantum of punishment was pronounced soon after Tejpal rushed to the Supreme Court the moment he was convicted in the morning. Tejpal had sought a suspension of the conviction order for a week.
In the afternoon, when the High Court handed him the 10-year sentence, it allowed Tejpal four weeks to surrender. That will give Tejpal time to pursue or amend his petition in the Supreme Court.
TARUN TEJPAL GETS 10-YEAR PRISON TERM
Earlier in the day, a division bench of justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar held Tejpal guilty of rape and sexual harassment under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k), along with Sections 354A and 354B of the IPC.
While Section 376(2)(f) criminalises rape by a person in a position of trust or authority, Section 354A criminalises sexual harassment. Section 354B criminalises assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her.
Tejpal was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh under Section 376(2)(f). A separate sentence of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh was awarded under Section 376(2)(k).
For the offence under Section 354, Tejpal was handed a prison term of one year along with a fine of Rs 10,000. Under Section 354A, the court awarded another year of imprisonment. Section 354B attracted three years of imprisonment.
Since these will run concurrently, the journalist will have to serve a maximum of 10 years in prison.
TARUN TEJPAL SEEKS LENIENCY
The closely watched verdict comes after days of protracted hearings in one of India's most high-profile trials involving a prominent journalist.
Tejpal was present in the court when the order was pronounced. Addressing the judges, Tejpal said that he was now 62 years old and pleaded for leniency.
"I am 62, and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife, and that's not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient with me," Tejpal said.
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, representing Tejpal, requested the High Court to pause the order for eight weeks so that an appeal against the conviction could be filed before the Supreme Court.
Ponda argued that the offence was 13 years old and pointed out that there had been no other case or FIR against Tejpal.
"I have a remedy to file an appeal. Please stay this order for eight weeks so that I can approach the Supreme Court against this conviction. Please also consider that I have already spent six months in jail," Ponda argued.
'WAS A FATHER FIGURE FOR SURVIVOR'
Opposing Tejpal's plea for leniency, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, said the journalist was a "father figure" for the survivor and a precedent must be set.
"Despite the victim being a girl of his daughter's age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure and should not have indulged in this. A precedent must be set," Mehta said.
"The victim refused, but he kept advancing on two subsequent days... This court must give out a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no," he further said.
WHAT IS THE CASE?
The case relates to allegations by a former Tehelka colleague that the veteran journalist sexually assaulted her inside the elevator of Grand Hyatt in Goa's Bambolim.
At that time, Tehelka was one of the most influential investigative magazines, and Tejpal had a celebrity-like status.
Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013. However, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court less than a year later.
The trial in the case at a Goa sessions court began in 2017. In 2021, Tejpal was acquitted of all charges, after which the Goa government appealed in the High Court.
In its order, the sessions court said the complainant did not demonstrate any kind of "normative behaviour" that a survivor of sexual assault "might plausibly show".
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE HEARING?
The three-day hearing on final arguments centred around two key aspects - whether the trial court erred in acquitting Tejpal and whether his apology email to the complainant amounted to an admission that a sexual encounter took place.
During the hearing, SG Mehta said the trial court assessed the survivor's "post-incident" behaviour and background rather than examining the material on record.
He argued that the trial court ignored material evidence like Tejpal's apology email after the woman complained about the incident to Tehelka's then managing editor.
On the other hand, Tejpal's lawyer submitted that the woman's actions following the incident contradicted her claim that she was distressed or was in a state of trauma.
In one incident, Ponda said, the woman even texted Tejpal and asked him to join her for a photograph with Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, who was attending the ThinkFest event.
On the apology email, Ponda argued that it cannot be treated as a voluntary confession of sexual assault. "It was engineered under pressure by Tehelka's then managing editor," he told the High Court.
Tejpal's lawyer also claimed that the sexual assault narrative was fabricated by the woman to secure a Rs 1 lakh fellowship grant to write a book on violence against women.
The High Court, however, does not seem to have been convinced by the arguments and convicted the Tehelka founder.
The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court handed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment to Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal after convicting him of raping a junior colleague at a Goa resort 13 years ago. Setting aside the 2021 judgment of the trial court that had acquitted him, the High Court directed Tejpal to surrender before Goa Police within four weeks.
The High Court, however, did not cite any reason for the verdict. A detailed order in the case is awaited. The case dates back to November 2013, when a Tehelka employee accused Tejpal of raping her in the elevator of a Goa resort during the magazine's annual Thinkfest event.
The High Court's quantum of punishment was pronounced soon after Tejpal rushed to the Supreme Court the moment he was convicted in the morning. Tejpal had sought a suspension of the conviction order for a week.
In the afternoon, when the High Court handed him the 10-year sentence, it allowed Tejpal four weeks to surrender. That will give Tejpal time to pursue or amend his petition in the Supreme Court.
TARUN TEJPAL GETS 10-YEAR PRISON TERM
Earlier in the day, a division bench of justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar held Tejpal guilty of rape and sexual harassment under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k), along with Sections 354A and 354B of the IPC.
While Section 376(2)(f) criminalises rape by a person in a position of trust or authority, Section 354A criminalises sexual harassment. Section 354B criminalises assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her.
Tejpal was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh under Section 376(2)(f). A separate sentence of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh was awarded under Section 376(2)(k).
For the offence under Section 354, Tejpal was handed a prison term of one year along with a fine of Rs 10,000. Under Section 354A, the court awarded another year of imprisonment. Section 354B attracted three years of imprisonment.
Since these will run concurrently, the journalist will have to serve a maximum of 10 years in prison.
TARUN TEJPAL SEEKS LENIENCY
The closely watched verdict comes after days of protracted hearings in one of India's most high-profile trials involving a prominent journalist.
Tejpal was present in the court when the order was pronounced. Addressing the judges, Tejpal said that he was now 62 years old and pleaded for leniency.
"I am 62, and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife, and that's not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient with me," Tejpal said.
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, representing Tejpal, requested the High Court to pause the order for eight weeks so that an appeal against the conviction could be filed before the Supreme Court.
Ponda argued that the offence was 13 years old and pointed out that there had been no other case or FIR against Tejpal.
"I have a remedy to file an appeal. Please stay this order for eight weeks so that I can approach the Supreme Court against this conviction. Please also consider that I have already spent six months in jail," Ponda argued.
'WAS A FATHER FIGURE FOR SURVIVOR'
Opposing Tejpal's plea for leniency, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, said the journalist was a "father figure" for the survivor and a precedent must be set.
"Despite the victim being a girl of his daughter's age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure and should not have indulged in this. A precedent must be set," Mehta said.
"The victim refused, but he kept advancing on two subsequent days... This court must give out a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no," he further said.
WHAT IS THE CASE?
The case relates to allegations by a former Tehelka colleague that the veteran journalist sexually assaulted her inside the elevator of Grand Hyatt in Goa's Bambolim.
At that time, Tehelka was one of the most influential investigative magazines, and Tejpal had a celebrity-like status.
Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013. However, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court less than a year later.
The trial in the case at a Goa sessions court began in 2017. In 2021, Tejpal was acquitted of all charges, after which the Goa government appealed in the High Court.
In its order, the sessions court said the complainant did not demonstrate any kind of "normative behaviour" that a survivor of sexual assault "might plausibly show".
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE HEARING?
The three-day hearing on final arguments centred around two key aspects - whether the trial court erred in acquitting Tejpal and whether his apology email to the complainant amounted to an admission that a sexual encounter took place.
During the hearing, SG Mehta said the trial court assessed the survivor's "post-incident" behaviour and background rather than examining the material on record.
He argued that the trial court ignored material evidence like Tejpal's apology email after the woman complained about the incident to Tehelka's then managing editor.
On the other hand, Tejpal's lawyer submitted that the woman's actions following the incident contradicted her claim that she was distressed or was in a state of trauma.
In one incident, Ponda said, the woman even texted Tejpal and asked him to join her for a photograph with Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, who was attending the ThinkFest event.
On the apology email, Ponda argued that it cannot be treated as a voluntary confession of sexual assault. "It was engineered under pressure by Tehelka's then managing editor," he told the High Court.
Tejpal's lawyer also claimed that the sexual assault narrative was fabricated by the woman to secure a Rs 1 lakh fellowship grant to write a book on violence against women.
The High Court, however, does not seem to have been convinced by the arguments and convicted the Tehelka founder.
The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court handed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment to Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal after convicting him of raping a junior colleague at a Goa resort 13 years ago. Setting aside the 2021 judgment of the trial court that had acquitted him, the High Court directed Tejpal to surrender before Goa Police within four weeks.
The High Court, however, did not cite any reason for the verdict. A detailed order in the case is awaited. The case dates back to November 2013, when a Tehelka employee accused Tejpal of raping her in the elevator of a Goa resort during the magazine's annual Thinkfest event.
The High Court's quantum of punishment was pronounced soon after Tejpal rushed to the Supreme Court the moment he was convicted in the morning. Tejpal had sought a suspension of the conviction order for a week.
In the afternoon, when the High Court handed him the 10-year sentence, it allowed Tejpal four weeks to surrender. That will give Tejpal time to pursue or amend his petition in the Supreme Court.
TARUN TEJPAL GETS 10-YEAR PRISON TERM
Earlier in the day, a division bench of justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar held Tejpal guilty of rape and sexual harassment under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k), along with Sections 354A and 354B of the IPC.
While Section 376(2)(f) criminalises rape by a person in a position of trust or authority, Section 354A criminalises sexual harassment. Section 354B criminalises assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her.
Tejpal was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh under Section 376(2)(f). A separate sentence of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh was awarded under Section 376(2)(k).
For the offence under Section 354, Tejpal was handed a prison term of one year along with a fine of Rs 10,000. Under Section 354A, the court awarded another year of imprisonment. Section 354B attracted three years of imprisonment.
Since these will run concurrently, the journalist will have to serve a maximum of 10 years in prison.
TARUN TEJPAL SEEKS LENIENCY
The closely watched verdict comes after days of protracted hearings in one of India's most high-profile trials involving a prominent journalist.
Tejpal was present in the court when the order was pronounced. Addressing the judges, Tejpal said that he was now 62 years old and pleaded for leniency.
"I am 62, and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife, and that's not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient with me," Tejpal said.
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, representing Tejpal, requested the High Court to pause the order for eight weeks so that an appeal against the conviction could be filed before the Supreme Court.
Ponda argued that the offence was 13 years old and pointed out that there had been no other case or FIR against Tejpal.
"I have a remedy to file an appeal. Please stay this order for eight weeks so that I can approach the Supreme Court against this conviction. Please also consider that I have already spent six months in jail," Ponda argued.
'WAS A FATHER FIGURE FOR SURVIVOR'
Opposing Tejpal's plea for leniency, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, said the journalist was a "father figure" for the survivor and a precedent must be set.
"Despite the victim being a girl of his daughter's age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure and should not have indulged in this. A precedent must be set," Mehta said.
"The victim refused, but he kept advancing on two subsequent days... This court must give out a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no," he further said.
WHAT IS THE CASE?
The case relates to allegations by a former Tehelka colleague that the veteran journalist sexually assaulted her inside the elevator of Grand Hyatt in Goa's Bambolim.
At that time, Tehelka was one of the most influential investigative magazines, and Tejpal had a celebrity-like status.
Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013. However, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court less than a year later.
The trial in the case at a Goa sessions court began in 2017. In 2021, Tejpal was acquitted of all charges, after which the Goa government appealed in the High Court.
In its order, the sessions court said the complainant did not demonstrate any kind of "normative behaviour" that a survivor of sexual assault "might plausibly show".
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE HEARING?
The three-day hearing on final arguments centred around two key aspects - whether the trial court erred in acquitting Tejpal and whether his apology email to the complainant amounted to an admission that a sexual encounter took place.
During the hearing, SG Mehta said the trial court assessed the survivor's "post-incident" behaviour and background rather than examining the material on record.
He argued that the trial court ignored material evidence like Tejpal's apology email after the woman complained about the incident to Tehelka's then managing editor.
On the other hand, Tejpal's lawyer submitted that the woman's actions following the incident contradicted her claim that she was distressed or was in a state of trauma.
In one incident, Ponda said, the woman even texted Tejpal and asked him to join her for a photograph with Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, who was attending the ThinkFest event.
On the apology email, Ponda argued that it cannot be treated as a voluntary confession of sexual assault. "It was engineered under pressure by Tehelka's then managing editor," he told the High Court.
Tejpal's lawyer also claimed that the sexual assault narrative was fabricated by the woman to secure a Rs 1 lakh fellowship grant to write a book on violence against women.
The High Court, however, does not seem to have been convinced by the arguments and convicted the Tehelka founder.
