Allowing the Goa government’s appeal, the High Court held Tejpal guilty under multiple provisions of theIndian Penal Code, while rejecting the trial court’s findings that had questioned the complainant’s testimony and acquitted him.
BY PC Bureau
August 6, 2026: Nearly five years after a trial court cleared him of all charges, former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal was convicted by the Bombay High Court’s Goa Bench on Thursday in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague. The court overturned the 2021 acquittal, ruling that the prosecution had established the offences of rape and sexual harassment.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar allowed the Goa government’s appeal against the acquittal delivered by the Mapusa Sessions Court and found Tejpal guilty under Sections 376(2)(f), 376(2)(k), 354A and 354B of the Indian Penal Code.
The court has yet to determine the quantum of punishment. The matter was adjourned until 2:30 p.m. for arguments on sentencing, while the detailed judgment is awaited.
Tejpal appeared before the Bench in compliance with its earlier direction. Following the conviction, his counsel, Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda, urged the court to take a lenient view while deciding the sentence. He argued that the alleged offence dated back around 13 years and sought an eight-week suspension of the conviction to allow Tejpal to challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court. Ponda also submitted that no other criminal case or FIR had ever been registered against his client.
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Addressing the court personally, Tejpal appealed for mercy, saying he was now 62 years old. He maintained that he considered himself a victim and requested the Bench to show compassion, adding that he intended to pursue his legal remedies before the Supreme Court.
Representing the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta strongly opposed any plea for leniency. He argued that the survivor had been almost the same age as Tejpal’s daughter and had looked upon him as a mentor. Mehta told the court that the accused persisted with his advances despite her refusal on multiple occasions, stressing that the verdict should reinforce the principle that a woman’s refusal must always be respected.
Tarun Tejpal to Challenge High Court Verdict
The High Court has given a wrong order. We will appeal the High Court’s judgment in the Supreme Court, said Tarun Tejpal after the High Court convicted him in the 2013 rape case involving a junior colleague and set aside the trial… pic.twitter.com/bjsMiy6BE5
— Goa News Hub (@goanewshub) August 6, 2026
The State, represented by Mehta along with Goa Advocate General Devidas Pangam, contended that the trial court had wrongly scrutinised the survivor’s conduct after the incident instead of objectively evaluating the available evidence. According to the prosecution, the Sessions Court effectively shifted the focus from the accused to the complainant while overlooking significant material, including an apology email sent by Tejpal after the allegations surfaced.
The defence, however, maintained that the acquittal delivered by the trial court was based on a careful examination of electronic evidence and legal principles rather than assumptions or stereotypes. Ponda argued that there was no reason for the High Court to interfere with those findings.
In May 2021, Special Judge Kshama Joshi of the Mapusa Sessions Court had acquitted Tejpal, holding that the prosecution had failed to produce sufficient corroborative evidence. The court had observed that the complainant’s testimony contained inconsistencies, omissions and changes that undermined its reliability.
The allegations first surfaced in November 2013 when the complainant informed Tehelka‘s then Managing Editor, Shoma Chaudhry, about the incidents. A day later, Tejpal sent an email offering an unconditional apology, describing his conduct on November 7 and 8, 2013, as a “shameful lapse of judgement” and acknowledging that he had attempted a sexual encounter despite the complainant’s clear reluctance. He also wrote separately to Chaudhry admitting that he had seriously misread the situation.
The complainant subsequently sought an internal inquiry under the Vishaka guidelines before the Goa Police registered a criminal case. Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, and was later granted bail by the Supreme Court.
With Thursday’s ruling, the Bombay High Court has reversed the trial court’s acquittal, bringing one of India’s most closely watched sexual assault cases back to the forefront. The court will now decide the sentence to be imposed on the former journalist.
