Bombay High Court Convicts Tarun Tejpal in Sexual Assault

The Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal in a 2013 sexual assault case, overturning his 2021 acquittal and sentencing him to 10 years in prison. The court also imposed a fine of 500,000 rupees and directed him to surrender within two weeks.

A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar at the High Court's Goa bench found Tejpal guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including assault by a person in a position of authority, sexual harassment, and assault with intent to disrobe. The verdict came on an appeal filed by the Goa government in 2022 challenging the sessions court's decision to acquit Tejpal of all charges in May 2021.

The case dates back to November 7 and 8, 2013, when a junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside an elevator at a luxury hotel in Goa during the magazine's annual ThinkFest event. Following the allegations, Tejpal stepped down as editor and was arrested in November 2013. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in July 2014. The trial, which began in 2017, concluded with his acquittal in 2021, a verdict that was widely criticized and prompted the...