Bombay High Court Convicts Ex-Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal in 2013 Case

The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted Tarun Tejpal, founder and former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, in connection with the sexual assault of a former junior colleague in 2013. The division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar overturned the trial court’s 2021 decision acquitting him of all charges. Tejpal, who has consistently denied the allegations, said he intends to challenge the conviction before a higher court. 

The case arose from allegations that Tejpal sexually assaulted the colleague inside an elevator at a five-star hotel in Goa on November 7 and 8, 2013, during an event organised by the magazine. He stepped down as Tehelka’s editor-in-chief after the allegations emerged and was arrested on November 30, 2013. He remained in custody until the Supreme Court granted him bail in July 2014.

Tejpal faced trial under provisions of the Indian Penal Code covering wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, sexual harassment, assault with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty, assault with intent to disrobe and rape by a person in a position of authority or control. The High Court convicted him under Sections 376(2)(f), 376(2)(k), 354A and 354B. Arguments concerning the sentence were scheduled to be heard separately.

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A Goa sessions court acquitted Tejpal of all charges in May 2021, prompting the state government to challenge the verdict. Representing Goa, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the trial court had assessed the complainant’s conduct according to stereotypes about how a sexual assault survivor should behave. He maintained that reactions to trauma differ and that minor inconsistencies should not outweigh the consistency of the central allegation.

The prosecution also relied on an email Tejpal sent after the alleged incidents, arguing that his expression of shame and reference to a “lapse of judgment” established that an encounter had occurred. Defence lawyer Abad Ponda disputed that interpretation, saying the emails referred only to a consensual conversation of a sexual nature and did not admit to physical or sexual contact. The defence also relied on messages, documentary evidence and CCTV footage to question the prosecution’s account.

The High Court ultimately set aside the acquittal and returned a finding of guilt against Tejpal. Following the verdict, his lawyer sought protection from immediate custody to allow an appeal before a higher court. The bench did not order his immediate detention and said it would hear arguments on the appropriate sentence. The ruling marks a major reversal in a case that has remained under judicial consideration for nearly 13 years.

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