Tarun Tejpal gets 10-year jail term, says 'very disappointed with the verdict'

Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a former junior colleague.

Reacting to the verdict, Tejpal said he was 'very much disappointed with the verdict' and reiterated that he would challenge the Bombay High Court's decision before the Supreme Court.

The sentence comes after the High Court overturned his 2021 acquittal and held him guilty in the case.

The sentencing came shortly after the High Court overturned the 2021 acquittal granted to Tejpal by a Goa sessions court and held him guilty in the case.

Apart from the principal sentence of 10 years under rape-related provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the court also imposed additional prison terms under other sections dealing with assault and outraging the modesty of a woman, along with monetary penalties.

While deciding the quantum of punishment, the court observed that the incident had taken place nearly 13 years ago.

It also noted that there had been no fresh allegations or complaints of misconduct against Tejpal in the intervening years and remarked that both the survivor and the convict had moved ahead with their respective lives. However, these observations did not alter the court's decision to award a decade-long prison sentence.

The court imposed 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under two separate rape-related IPC provisions and levied a fine of Rs 5 lakh under each count.

It also awarded one year's rigorous imprisonment under Sections 354 and 354A, besides a three-year sentence under Section 354B. The sentences will operate in accordance with the High Court's directions.

Case dates back to 2013 ThinkFest event

The case stems from allegations made by a woman journalist, who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator during the ThinkFest event in Goa on November 7 and 8, 2013.

Tejpal was arrested later that month, on November 30, following the registration of the case.

In 2017, the trial court framed charges against him under several provisions of the IPC, including rape, sexual harassment and wrongful confinement. Tejpal denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty.

He subsequently approached the Supreme Court seeking to have the charges quashed. The apex court declined the request and directed that the trial be completed expeditiously.

In May 2021, the Goa sessions court acquitted Tejpal of all charges, ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt. The trial court cited the absence of medical evidence and referred to text messages exchanged between the complainant and Tejpal, observing that they did not conclusively support the prosecution's version.

The Goa government challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court, arguing that the trial court had erred in its appreciation of evidence.

The High Court agreed with the State's contention and reversed the acquittal, ultimately leading to Thursday's sentencing.

Tejpal plans Supreme Court appeal, former investigator welcomes verdict

Moments before the sentence was announced, Tejpal said he would challenge the High Court's verdict before the Supreme Court. He maintained that he was innocent and alleged that the case was driven by political motives linked to Tehelka's investigative journalism.

Claiming he had been targeted for over a decade, Tejpal said the publication's work had upset powerful interests and insisted that he had faith the Supreme Court would examine the evidence independently.

He also argued that the trial court had earlier acquitted him after a lengthy examination of the case.

Meanwhile, former investigating officer Sunita Sawant welcomed the High Court's decision, saying the State had challenged the acquittal because it believed the trial court had failed to properly evaluate the evidence collected during the investigation.

According to Sawant, the prosecution had placed all relevant material before the courts during the trial, but the evidence was not adequately appreciated at the sessions court level.

She said the High Court carefully examined those shortcomings before setting aside the acquittal and restoring the conviction.

With the sentencing now pronounced, Tejpal is expected to move the Supreme Court against both his conviction and the punishment awarded by the High Court.