Archive · 7 Aug 2026
HC convicts Tejpal in 2013 rape case, calls acquittal perverse
Long ago, in 2013, a woman who worked for a news magazine called Tehelka said that her boss, a famous journalist named Tarun Tejpal, hurt her.
She said he forced her into sexual acts, which is a crime.
First, a court in Goa decided that Tejpal was not guilty.
But the Bombay High Court, a bigger court, looked at the case again and said that decision was wrong.
The High Court said Tejpal is guilty and must go to prison for ten years.
The judges also said the first court made a mistake when it expected the woman to act like a 'perfect victim.'
A perfect victim, they said, is someone who is always sad, weak, and quiet, but that idea is a myth.
People deal with scary and painful events in different ways, so the woman's behavior did not mean she was lying.
The judges believed her story because it was steady and other witnesses agreed with it.
They also said every woman has the right to say no, and her boss was not allowed to hurt her just because he had more power.
The Bombay High Court convicted Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case and sentenced him to ten years' rigorous imprisonment.
The high court called the Mapusa trial court's 2021 acquittal 'perverse' and reversed it.
The bench said the trial court wrongly applied the 'perfect victim' myth and allowed the defence to harass and humiliate the victim during cross-examination.
The court noted Tejpal held 'a position of control and dominance' over the victim, a principal correspondent at Tehelka, and assaulted her on two consecutive days.
The court found the victim's testimony 'reliable and consistent' and cited Tejpal's apology email as an admission of the assault.
- Who
- The Bombay High Court bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar convicted journalist Tarun Tejpal, founder and former editor-in-chief of Tehelka.
- What
- The high court overturned the trial court's acquittal and sentenced Tejpal to ten years' rigorous imprisonment for rape and sexual harassment.
- When
- The judgement was delivered on Thursday, August 6, 2026; the assaults occurred in 2013 and the trial court acquitted Tejpal in 2021.
- Where
- Bombay High Court, with the original trial held in a Mapusa, Goa court.
- Why
- The court found the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt, called the acquittal 'perverse,' and said the trial court wrongly relied on the myth of the 'perfect victim' in judging the complainant's credibility.
- Accused
- Tarun Tejpal, founder and former editor-in-chief of Tehelka
- Victim
- Principal correspondent at Tehelka
- Sentence
- Ten years' rigorous imprisonment
- Charges
- Rape and sexual harassment
- Court
- Bombay High Court (Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar)
- Trial Court
- Mapusa court, Goa - acquitted Tejpal in 2021
- Incident Year
- 2013
- Judgement Length
- 81 pages