New Delhi, Sept. 14 -- Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before the Mapusa court in Goa on Monday, following the Supreme Court's direction that he submit himself to custody before his appeal against his conviction is heard. Tejpal's surrender comes after the Bombay High Court's Goa bench convicted him on August 6 in connection with the 2013 rape and sexual assault case and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The high court had overturned the acquittal handed down by the trial court in 2021.
The case relates to allegations made by a former woman colleague, who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator in Goa on November 7 and 8, 2013. Tejpal had been arrested in connection with the case and had earlier spent around six months in jail before remaining on bail during the subsequent legal proceedings. Tejpal had approached the Supreme Court challenging the high court's conviction and sentence. During the proceedings, his counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, sought exemption from surrender, pointing to the age of the case and the period Tejpal had already spent in custody. The plea was rejected by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court subsequently directed Tejpal to surrender and file a surrender certificate before his criminal appeal could be taken up. The court said that if the certificate was filed by the prescribed deadline, the appeal would be listed for hearing on September 22. The legal battle has continued for more than a decade. In May 2021, the trial court had acquitted Tejpal of all charges. The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court later reversed that decision in August 2026, convicted him and imposed the 10-year prison sentence. Tejpal's challenge against that conviction is now before the Supreme Court.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.