'They're after me due to political vendetta': Ex-Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal to challenge Bombay HC verdict in Supreme Court
Earlier in the day, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court reversed the 2021 acquittal granted by a Goa sessions court, holding Tejpal guilty in the 2013 sexual assault case
- Aug 6, 2026,
- Updated Aug 6, 2026 5:06 PM IST
Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal on Thursday said he will challenge the Bombay High Court's verdict in the Supreme Court after being sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a former junior colleague. Maintaining that he had been targeted due to "political vendetta", Tejpal said he has faith that the country's top court will examine the evidence and deliver justice.
Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Tejpal said, "We will surely approach the Supreme Court. They are after me due to a political vendetta and work done by Tehelka. We fought the case for 7.5 years in the trial court and got an acquittal. Those with them are acquitted, but they are after those who wrote against them. I have full faith in the judiciary. We will present the evidence in public."
Bombay High Court convicts Tejpal
Earlier in the day, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court reversed the 2021 acquittal granted by a Goa sessions court, holding Tejpal guilty in the 2013 sexual assault case. A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar later sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed fines under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently. Tejpal has been given two weeks to surrender to the authorities.
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During the sentencing hearing, Tejpal's counsel sought time to approach the Supreme Court, arguing that the conviction had reversed an earlier acquittal. The High Court, however, directed him to surrender within two weeks.
Background of the 2013 case
The case dates back to November 2013, when a former junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator during Tehelka magazine's ThinkFest event in Goa on November 7 and 8. Following the allegations, the Goa Police registered an FIR, and Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in July 2014.
In May 2021, a sessions court in Goa acquitted Tejpal of all charges, a decision that drew criticism and was subsequently challenged by the Goa government before the Bombay High Court. The state argued that the trial court had erred in assessing the survivor's testimony and relied on stereotypes about how a victim of sexual assault should behave after the incident.
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A 13-year legal battle
The High Court's judgment marks a dramatic turn in a case that has remained one of India's most closely watched sexual assault trials involving a prominent media figure. Nearly 13 years after the alleged incident, the appellate court overturned the trial court's acquittal, convicted Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
Tejpal has now made it clear that his legal battle is far from over, saying he will challenge the High Court's ruling before the Supreme Court while continuing to maintain his innocence and alleging that the prosecution against him was politically motivated.
Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal on Thursday said he will challenge the Bombay High Court's verdict in the Supreme Court after being sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a former junior colleague. Maintaining that he had been targeted due to "political vendetta", Tejpal said he has faith that the country's top court will examine the evidence and deliver justice.
Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Tejpal said, "We will surely approach the Supreme Court. They are after me due to a political vendetta and work done by Tehelka. We fought the case for 7.5 years in the trial court and got an acquittal. Those with them are acquitted, but they are after those who wrote against them. I have full faith in the judiciary. We will present the evidence in public."
Bombay High Court convicts Tejpal
Earlier in the day, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court reversed the 2021 acquittal granted by a Goa sessions court, holding Tejpal guilty in the 2013 sexual assault case. A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar later sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed fines under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently. Tejpal has been given two weeks to surrender to the authorities.
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During the sentencing hearing, Tejpal's counsel sought time to approach the Supreme Court, arguing that the conviction had reversed an earlier acquittal. The High Court, however, directed him to surrender within two weeks.
Background of the 2013 case
The case dates back to November 2013, when a former junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator during Tehelka magazine's ThinkFest event in Goa on November 7 and 8. Following the allegations, the Goa Police registered an FIR, and Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in July 2014.
In May 2021, a sessions court in Goa acquitted Tejpal of all charges, a decision that drew criticism and was subsequently challenged by the Goa government before the Bombay High Court. The state argued that the trial court had erred in assessing the survivor's testimony and relied on stereotypes about how a victim of sexual assault should behave after the incident.
ALSO READ: Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos met PM Modi as platform completes 10 years in India
A 13-year legal battle
The High Court's judgment marks a dramatic turn in a case that has remained one of India's most closely watched sexual assault trials involving a prominent media figure. Nearly 13 years after the alleged incident, the appellate court overturned the trial court's acquittal, convicted Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
Tejpal has now made it clear that his legal battle is far from over, saying he will challenge the High Court's ruling before the Supreme Court while continuing to maintain his innocence and alleging that the prosecution against him was politically motivated.