New Delhi, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned till November 5 the hearing on former Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal’s challenge to his conviction and 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence in the 2013 rape case. The Goa government has separately sought enhancement of his sentence.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale deferred the hearing after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa government, sought more time. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Tejpal, did not oppose the adjournment but urged the court to allow his client to come home during Diwali. The Goa government opposed the request.
Mehta submitted that Tejpal stood convicted, while Sibal countered: “So what? It’s a reversal of the acquittal. He can come home for Diwali. Why should he be inside?”
Tejpal has challenged the Bombay High Court judgment that overturned his acquittal by a sessions court and convicted him of rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sentencing him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. The case relates to allegations that he sexually assaulted a junior colleague inside an elevator at a luxury hotel in Goa during an event in November 2013.
In May 2021, a sessions court acquitted Tejpal, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and alleged lapses in the investigation. The Goa government challenged the acquittal, following which the Bombay High Court set it aside on August 6 and convicted him under relevant IPC provisions.
The Goa government has also approached the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of the sentence. Tejpal surrendered before the Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa on September 14, following the Supreme Court’s direction, and was subsequently taken to Central Jail in Colvale, North Goa.
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