Supreme Court seeks Goa’s response on Tarun Tejpal’s appeal against rape case conviction

Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal. File

The Supreme Court on Friday (September 25, 2026) issued notice to the State of Goa on an appeal filed by former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal against a Bombay High Court judgment sentencing him to 10 years’ imprisonment in a 2013 rape case.

A Bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh took on board the appeal in a brief hearing. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal for Tejpal introduced the case as one of reversal of conviction and prison sentence. Mr. Sibal said his client had already surrendered.

The Supreme Court had directed Tejpal to surrender within three weeks in an order passed on August 25. A Single-Judge Bench of Justice Alok Aradhe had observed that his appeal would be heard once the certificate of his surrender was filed in the Supreme Court on or before September 22, 2026.

Tejpal’s appeal had followed a separate appeal filed by the State of Goa in the apex court for enhancement of his punishment to life imprisonment.

The State had said the sentence was manifestly inadequate, but clarified that it did not want to challenge or reopen the findings of the High Court on merits.

The Bombay High Court Bench had sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment on August 6 after setting aside a five-year-old Goa sessions court decision acquitting him.

While Tejpal pleaded for leniency, claiming he was a “political victim” and the father of two daughters, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Goa, had demanded the maximum punishment to send a strong message.

The State has said the 10-year prison sentence pronounced by the High Court was “grossly disproportionate to the nature and gravity of the offence” committed by Tejpal.

“The present case warrants enhancement of sentence to imprisonment for life, or such enhanced sentence as this court may deem appropriate, and the sentences ought not to have been directed to run concurrently,” the State petition had said.

The High Court had termed the trial court’s 2021 order as “perverse”.

Tejpal was convicted of raping a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator in 2013 during an event organised by the magazine in Goa.