The Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 Goa sexual assault case, reversing a trial court’s earlier decision that had acquitted him by granting the benefit of doubt.
Delivering the verdict, a division bench comprising Justice Dr Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar said the trial court’s judgment had been set aside.
Following the conviction, the High Court directed Tejpal’s counsel to present arguments on the quantum of sentence.
High Court Reverses 2021 Acquittal
The case was brought up to the High Court because of the appeal filed by the government of Goa against Tejpal’s acquittal. The sessions court acquitted Tejpal in May 2021. Last week, the High Court reserved its judgment after hearing the arguments of both parties.
The government of Goa said that the trial court committed errors in analysing the evidence. In particular, the government said that the trial court prejudged the behaviour of the survivor in the light of stereotypes about victims’ behaviour after being sexually assaulted.
Prosecution Cites Tejpal’s Emails
Appearing for the government of Goa, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that every survivor acts in their own manner. There is no typical behaviour of a victim, according to him.
He also stated that the trial court attached too much significance to minor discrepancies in the complainant’s testimony. On the contrary, it should have analysed whether the central allegations made by the complainant were consistent throughout her testimony. The prosecution also presented Tejpal’s emails as evidence.
According to the prosecution, the emails included apologies for what Tejpal called his “lapse of judgment”. They also contained expressions of shame and remarks that suggested he believed the encounter was consensual. The prosecution said these emails supported the complainant’s case.
Defence Rejects Prosecution’s Claims
The lawyer of Tejpal, senior advocate Abad Ponda, objected to the prosecution. He claimed that the apology emails were not an admission of any sexual or physical relationship. As per the defence, these emails talked about only a consensual conversation having a sexual context.
The defence also rejected the version of the complainant regarding the incident. This was done by taking into account her behaviour both before and after the alleged incident took place. It included emails, WhatsApp messages and other documents. Further, the defence claimed that she was trapped inside a hotel elevator, but her claim did not tally with the expert opinion and video camera footage.
What Is Tarun Tejpal Case?
This case originated way back in November 2013. In the process, a former junior filed a case against Tarun Tejpal for raping her in an elevator of the hotel where the ThinkFest event was taking place in Goa. In 2021, the Goa sessions court cleared Tarun Tejpal. However, subsequently, the Goa state government filed an appeal to the Bombay High Court on this decision. The High Court has now set aside this order of acquittal.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
