Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before an additional sessions court in Mapusa, Goa, on Monday. He was subsequently sent to the Central Jail at Colvale in North Goa to serve his 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence in a 2013 sexual assault case.
The surrender followed a Supreme Court order dated August 25 directing Tejpal to surrender within three weeks.
A bench of Justice Alok Aradhe had directed Tejpal to furnish the surrender certificate before the court. The single-judge bench agreed to list his criminal appeal on September 22, provided he submitted the surrender certificate by then.
Earlier, on August 6, the Bombay High Court overturned Tejpal’s acquittal by the trial court and convicted him of sexually assaulting a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator in Goa in November 2013. It sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, to be paid to the survivor.
The trial court had acquitted Tejpal in May 2021, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The Goa government challenged the acquittal before the High Court. While reversing the trial court’s verdict, the High Court relied on the survivor’s testimony and other evidence, including CCTV footage and emails exchanged after the alleged incident.
The High Court also rejected the defence contention that the allegations were part of an attempt at extortion or character assassination.
Tejpal was accused of sexually assaulting a female journalist inside a hotel elevator on November 7 and 8, 2013. He was subsequently arrested on November 30, 2013, in connection with the case.