The case first came to light on November 18, 2013, when the woman filed a complaint with Tehelka’s then Managing Editor, Shoma ChaudhryA day later, Tarun Tejpal sent the complainant a detailed email apologising for his behaviour.
Updated: August 6, 2026, 12:14 PM IST
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‘I am 62, I believe I am a victim,’ says Tarun Tejpal, Ex-Tehelka Editor after court convicted him in 2013 rape case (Image: PTI/File)
The Bombay High Court on Thursday found former ‘Tehelka’ editor Tarun Tejpal guilty in the 2013 sexual assault case, overturning a Goa sessions court’s 2021 decision that had acquitted himA division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar of the High Court’s Goa bench convicted Tejpal under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape, sexual harassment and using criminal force against a woman with the intention of disrobing herThe court said it would announce the sentence later in the dayUnder the rape provision, Tejpal faces a minimum jail term of 10 years, which can extend to life imprisonment.
During the hearing on sentencing, Tejpal’s lawyer, Aabad Ponda, requested the court to award the minimum punishmentOn the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa government, urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, saying it would reinforce the message that “no means no”.
Tejpal, who was present in court, appealed for leniencyHe told the court that he was a “political victim” and also mentioned that he is the father of two daughters.
Addressing the bench, Tejpal said that he was now 62 years old and pleaded for lenience“I am 62, and I believe I am a victimI have a wife, and that’s not much else to sayAll that I can say is we can go and appealPlease be lenient with meThe rest of the facts are placed on record,” he said.
About the case
The case first came to light on November 18, 2013, when the woman filed a complaint with Tehelka’s then Managing Editor, Shoma ChaudhryA day later, Tarun Tejpal sent the complainant a detailed email apologising for his behaviour.
In the email, Tejpal offered an unconditional apology, saying he deeply regretted what he described as a “serious lapse in judgement.” He admitted that he had tried to initiate a sexual relationship with her on November 7 and November 8, 2013, despite knowing that she had clearly shown she was not interested.
Tejpal also wrote to Shoma Chaudhry, describing the incident as a grave mistake and saying he had completely misread the situationHe added that what had happened went against the values that Tehelka stood for.
The complainant, however, demanded that the allegations be investigated by an Internal Complaints Committee formed under the Vishakha guidelines on workplace sexual harassmentFollowing the complaint, Tejpal stepped down as editor for six months to allow the internal inquiry to take place.
He was arrested on November 30, 2013, after a court in Goa rejected his anticipatory bail pleaIn July 2014, the Supreme Court granted him regular bail.
Earlier, in February 2014, the Goa Police Crime Branch had filed a 2,846-page chargesheet detailing the allegations and evidence collected during the investigation.
(With PTI inputs)
