Indian journalist Tarun Tejpal convicted in rape case

An Indian court has found former Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal guilty of raping a former colleague, overturning his 2021 acquittal in a decade-old sexual assault case.

The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court said it was convicting Tejpal under sections of Indian law pertaining to rape and sexual harassment, legal website LiveLaw reported.

He will be sentenced later on Thursday.

Tejpal, who has consistently denied the accusations against him, can appeal against the verdict in a higher court.

Tejpal’s accuser, who cannot be named under Indian law, had alleged that he assaulted her in an elevator at a Tehelka event in Goa in November 2013.

He was arrested and spent seven months in jail until the Supreme Court granted him bail.

In 2021, a trial court in Goa threw out all the charges against him. The Goa government had appealed against the judgment.

Appearing for the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the high court to impose the maximum sentence on Tejpal.

“This court must give a clear message to society that when a girl says no, it means no. A no means a no,” Livelaw quoted him as saying.

“All I can say is I am 62. I believe I am a political victim. I am a father of two daughters. I have a wife. All we can say is we will go up and appeal. My lawyer wants me to request you to be lenient,” legal website Bar and Bench quoted Tejpal as telling the court.