Mumbai: The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on August 6 convicted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case involving a junior colleague, setting aside his acquittal by a Mapusa Sessions Court in 2021.
BIG BREAKING 🚨 Bombay High Court convicts Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case of a former colleague. Trial Court's acquittal order overturned. pic.twitter.com/BYtDpFEaXq
— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) August 6, 2026
A division bench of Justice Dr Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar allowed the appeal filed by the Goa Government and held Tejpal guilty under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k) of the Indian Penal Code for rape, along with Sections 354A and 354B relating to sexual harassment and assault.
The court will hear arguments separately on the quantum of sentence later in the day. A detailed copy of the judgment is yet to be made available.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa Government, opposed any plea for leniency and argued that Tejpal had abused a position of trust. He urged the court to send a strong message that “No means No” and that sexual advances despite a woman’s refusal cannot be tolerated.
State’s Appeal Against Acquittal
The High Court was hearing an appeal filed by the Goa Government against the May 2021 judgment of the Mapusa Sessions Court, which had acquitted Tejpal of all charges.
The State argued that the trial court had wrongly focused on the survivor’s conduct after the incident instead of examining the evidence against the accused. It also contended that the Sessions Court overlooked crucial material, including Tejpal’s apology email sent after the complainant reported the incident to Tehelka’s then Managing Editor, Shoma Chaudhry. Allowing the State’s appeal, the High Court overturned the acquittal and convicted Tejpal of rape and sexual harassment.
Background of the case
The case relates to allegations that Tejpal sexually assaulted a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator during a Tehelka event in Goa on November 7 and 8, 2013.
On November 18, 2013, the complainant informed then Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhry about the alleged assault. She also sought the constitution of an Internal Complaints Committee under the Vishaka Guidelines to investigate the matter. Soon after, Tejpal stepped down as editor for six months to facilitate an internal inquiry.
On November 22, 2013, the Goa Police took suo motu cognisance of media reports and registered an FIR. Tejpal was arrested on November 30 after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. He was granted regular bail by the Supreme Court in July 2014.
The Goa Police Crime Branch later filed a 2,846-page chargesheet. Charges were framed in September 2017, and the complainant testified in March 2018. During the trial, the prosecution examined 71 witnesses and relied on witness testimonies, CCTV footage, emails and WhatsApp messages as evidence.
In August 2019, the Supreme Court refused to quash the charges, describing the allegations as “morally abhorrent” and directing the trial court to complete the proceedings within six months.
On May 21, 2021, the Mapusa Sessions Court acquitted Tejpal, citing lack of corroborative evidence and inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony.
The Goa Government challenged the verdict before the Bombay High Court, arguing that the trial court had failed to properly appreciate the evidence on record. On Thursday, the High Court accepted the State’s appeal, set aside the acquittal and convicted Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case. The matter will now proceed to sentencing.
