The Bombay High Court on Thursday (August 6, 2026) convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal on charges of rape in a 2013 sexual assault case and set aside a sessions court order acquitting him.

A Bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar of the HC’s Goa Bench awarded him 10 years prison sentence and gave him two weeks time to surrender.

Tarun Tejpal case – a timeline

Tejpal has been convicted under sections 376 (2)(f) (person who is a guardian or in a position of trust or authority rapes a woman), 354 (a) (sexual harassment) and 354 (b) (using criminal force on a woman with an intent to disrobe her) of the Indian Penal Code.

Issues of sexual assault: the Tehelka case

Under section 376, Tejpal faces a minimum punishment of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment.

While Tejpal’s counsel Aabad Ponda sought the minimum punishment, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa government, sought the maximum punishment to send a strong message that “no means no”.

Tejpal, who was present in court, sought leniency, claiming that he was a “political victim” and the father of two daughters.

The case relates to allegations by a former junior colleague that the veteran journalist sexually assaulted her inside a hotel elevator during the ThinkFest event in Goa in November 2013.

After he was acquitted by the trial court in 2021, the Goa government challenged the verdict.