Tarun Tejpal Sentenced To 10 Years In Jail In 2013 Sexual Assault Case; Gets Two Weeks To Surrender

New Delhi: The Bombay High Court today convicted the founder of Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal, in the case of the rape committed by him in 2013. This is in connection with the order passed by the Goa Sessions Court that acquitted him of the said offence. The High Court has convicted him and imposed upon him a sentence of 10 years Rigorous Imprisonment for this offence committed by him in the month of November 2013. 

What has the court said?

The bench comprising Justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar held on Thursday said that Tarun Tejpal was guilty of committing rape and sexual harassment under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k) and Sections 354 A and 354 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"We have set aside the judgment and order and convicted Tejpal," said the Bombay High Court.

Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal convicted for rape and outraging modesty of woman pic.twitter.com/5hB0mUb6Jt

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 6, 2026

A Bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar of the High Court’s Goa Bench awarded him 10 years prison sentence and gave him two weeks time to surrender.

#WATCH | Goa | Tehelka magazine Founder Tarun Tejpal sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case

He says, "We are very much disappointed with the verdict. We believe that the evidence in the case has not been properly appreciated. We believe there is… pic.twitter.com/VX4pYxojQZ

— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2026

What does this case entail?

This case pertains to a complaint levelled against Tejpal in connection with sexual assault of his former junior colleague in the lift of a hotel in the Thinkfest in Goa during November 2013.

After Tejpal got acquittal in all the cases that were filed against him in the lower court, the government of Goa filed an appeal case against Tejpal in the High Court last week. The case was put off in the High Court last week following the hearing of the arguments by Tushar Mehta, solicitor general and senior advocate Abad Ponda on behalf of Tejpal.

What did the government argue?

On behalf of the state government, Tushar Mehta presented the arguments. He said that the Sessions Court had made a mistake by considering the complainant's behavior based on some preconceived notion of how a woman assaulted sexually should act.

The Solicitor General argued that there could be no universal standard for a sexual assault victim's response, as it could vary depending on the individual's education, personality, social background, and circumstances.