New Delhi, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Goa government’s response to former Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal’s plea challenging the Bombay High Court judgment that convicted him in the 2013 rape case and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale issued notice to the state government after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, informed the court that his client had surrendered in compliance with an earlier direction of the apex court.
Sibal sought an early hearing, pointing out that the Bombay High Court had suspended the sentence earlier. The Bench said it would assign a date for hearing the matter. According to the Supreme Court’s case status, the plea has been tentatively listed for October 15, when the notice is returnable.
Tejpal surrendered before the Additional Sessions Court at Mapusa in Goa on September 14 and was subsequently taken to Central Jail at Colvale in North Goa to begin serving his sentence.
The development follows the Supreme Court’s August 25 order rejecting Tejpal’s plea seeking exemption from surrender and directing him to surrender within two weeks. The apex court had made clear that his challenge to the conviction and sentence would be considered on merits after he surrendered and submitted the surrender certificate.
On August 6, the Bombay High Court overturned Tejpal’s acquittal by the sessions court and convicted him of rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code. A Division Bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar later sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and granted him time to surrender.
The High Court convicted Tejpal under Sections 376(2)(f), 376(2)(k), 354A and 354B of the IPC.
The case relates to allegations by a junior colleague that Tejpal sexually assaulted her inside an elevator at a luxury hotel in Goa during an event in November 2013. Goa Police registered an FIR and arrested him later that month after a local court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The Supreme Court granted him regular bail in July 2014.
In May 2021, a sessions court had acquitted Tejpal, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the case beyond reasonable doubt and citing alleged lapses in the investigation. The Goa government subsequently challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court.
The Goa government has also approached the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of the 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence imposed by the High Court.
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