Tarun Tejpal, Ex-Tehelka Editor, Convicted For Raping Junior Colleague In 2013

In a big setback for former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted him in the rape case filed by his junior colleague in 2013.

The High Court overturned a trial court's 2021 acquittal of Tejpal. The Goa government had appeal against the acquittal. 

A division bench comprising Justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar delivered the judgement following detailed arguments from both sides.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta argued the state government's appeal seeking to set aside the acquittal, while senior advocate Abad Ponda represented Tejpal.

The case relates to allegations by a former junior colleague that the veteran journalist sexually assaulted her inside a hotel elevator during the ThinkFest event in Goa in November 2013. 

Trial began in Mapusa trial court in 2017 and Tejpal was acquitted in 2021 after which the state government appealed in High Court. 

During the hearing on the state's appeal, Mehta argued that the sessions court committed a serious error by assessing the complainant's conduct based on preconceived notions of how a victim of sexual assault should behave.

In its acquittal order, the trial court had said the complainant did not demonstrate any kind of "normative behaviour" that a survivor of sexual assault "might plausibly show".

There is no universal standard governing the reaction of a survivor, as responses differ depending on an individual's education, personality, social background and circumstances, the Solicitor General said.

After the conviction order, Tushar Mehta demanded Tejpal's immediate arrest. "Despite the victim being his daughter's age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure for the victim and should have not indulged into this (crime). A precedent must be set. Victim refused but he kept advancing. This court must give out a clear message to the society that when a girl says no, it means no," Mehta argued in court.

Addressing the court after conviction, Tejpal pleaded leniency claiming that he was a victim and sough time to appeal the court order. " I am 62 and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife and there's not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient for me. Rest all facts are placed on record," Tejpal said in the court.

The court will deliver its verdict on sentencing at 2:30 pm.