The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday sought response from the Goa government to a petition filed by Tehelka’s magazine’s former editor, Tarun Tejpal, who challenged his conviction in a 2013 rape case. The 63-year-old scribe had surrendered on September 14 after the top court passed an order last month.

An SC bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and PB Varale issued notice on Tejpal’s appeal, as well as a separate plea filed by the Goa government seeking enhancement of the 10-year jail term imposed on him by the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court (HC) on August 6.

The Goa government has been seeking a life term for Tejpal. The two appeals have been directed to be heard together.

SC agrees to hear challenge

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Tejpal, told the court that the matter involved the reversal of an acquittal and informed it that his client had already surrendered and was in jail.

The bench remarked, “We are issuing notice to hear the appeal.”

Sibal further submitted before the court that the HC had suspended the sentence to pave the way for tejpal to approach the top court. He requested that the matter be listed next week, citing his client’s surrender and incarceration.

However, the bench refused to list the case next week, while indicating that it would hear the matter at the earliest possible opportunity.

Representing the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta emphasised that the charge against Tejpal was one of rape. The state’s appeal seeking a harsher sentence for the 63-year-old journalist was also directed to be heard alongside Tejpal’s plea.

Case stems from incident which allegedly unfolded in 2013

The case traces its roots to November 2013, when a junior employee attached to the Tehelka magazine accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside the elevator of a hotel at a Goa resort during the magazine’s annual Thinkfest event.

Following a probe by the police, Tejpal underwent a trial under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code(IPC), including the ones pertaining to rape and assault or the use of criminal force against a woman. While a trial court acquitted him of the charges in 2021, the Goa bench of the HC subsequently set aside the acquittal. It convicted Tejpal and called the trial court’s judgment ‘perverse’.

The High Court also relied on the testimony of the complainant along with other evidence.

Tejpal approaches top court for relief

In the petition filed before the SC, Tejpal has challenged the HC’s verdict to overturn his acquittal and convict him. His plea also observed that both he and the alleged survivor had since moved on with their lives.

Tejpal also submitted that he now has a family, including two daughters, to care for. He was out on bail during the trial and was later directed to surrender following the apex court’s recent order.