In a dramatic legal turnaround, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday, August 6, 2026, convicted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal for sexually assaulting a junior female colleague inside a hotel elevator in November 2013. Setting aside a May 2021 Mapusa Sessions Court judgment that had acquitted Tejpal of all charges, the High Court allowed the appeal filed by the State of Goa.
The division bench, comprising Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, found the 62-year-old journalist guilty under key provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 376(2)(f) (rape by a person in a position of trust or authority), Section 376(2)(k) (rape by a person in control or dominance), Section 354A (sexual harassment), and Section 354B (assault with intent to disrobe). Under IPC Section 376(2), Tejpal faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment.
“I Have a Wife, Please Be Lenient”: Tejpal Pleads Personal Victimhood
Following the pronouncement of guilt, Tejpal personally addressed the division bench during arguments on the quantum of sentence, pleading for a compassionate view.
“I am 62, and I believe I am a victim,” Tejpal told the court. “I have a wife, and that’s not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient with me. The rest of the facts are placed on record.”
His defense counsel, Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda, urged the High Court to consider that the alleged offense occurred over 13 years ago and emphasized that Tejpal had no prior criminal record or FIR registered against him. Ponda also requested an eight-week stay on the conviction order to enable Tejpal to challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court of India.
“A No Means A No”: State Opposes Leniency Plea
Opposing any leniency or stay, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Goa government, argued that the offense demanded a stern judicial precedent due to the severe power imbalance between the editor and his junior employee.
“Despite the victim being a girl of his daughter’s age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure and should not have indulged in this. A precedent must be set,” SG Mehta submitted. “The victim refused, but he kept advancing on two subsequent days. This court must give out a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no. A No Means A No.”
The State pointed out that the 2021 trial court judgment was “perverse” because it put the survivor’s character on trial—grilling her on WhatsApp messages, alcohol consumption, and post-incident social interactions—while ignoring Tejpal’s formal apology emails sent shortly after the incident, in which he acknowledged a “shameful lapse of judgment”.
Decades-Long Battle and Next Legal Steps
The case originates from November 2013, when a junior colleague accused Tejpal of assaulting her inside a luxury hotel elevator in Goa during Tehelka’s annual ‘THiNK’ festival. Following an internal complaint to then-managing editor Shoma Chaudhry, Goa Police took suo motu cognizance and arrested Tejpal on November 30, 2013. He spent over seven months in prison before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in July 2014.
With the High Court officially setting aside his acquittal, the bench adjourned the matter to finalize the sentencing structure. The defense team confirmed that they will file an urgent appeal before the Supreme Court of India.
