Bombay High Court Convicts Tarun Tejpal in 2013 Rape Case, Overturns 2021 Acquittal

Tejpal will be sentenced later on Thursday. He has consistently denied the allegations and can appeal the verdict before a higher court.

The allegations against Tejpal, one of India's best-known editors, made national headlines in 2013. The case emerged a year after thousands of Indians participated in protests following the brutal gang rape and murder of a woman in Delhi, which led to a wider national discussion on sexual violence.

Under Indian law, the complainant cannot be identified. She alleged that Tejpal sexually assaulted her inside a lift during Tehelka's high-profile international conference in Goa in November 2013. The event was attended by several prominent personalities, including Hollywood actor Robert De Niro.

Following the allegations, Tejpal initially described the incident as "a lapse of judgement" and "a misreading of the situation" that had "led to an unfortunate incident that rails against all we believe in and fight for."

As the case intensified, he later issued a statement urging authorities to examine the CCTV footage "so the accurate version of events stands clearly revealed." He also alleged that the case against him was part of a "political vendetta" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Goa.

Tehelka, the magazine co-founded by Tejpal in 2000, had published several major investigative stories, many based on sting operations. Among its most prominent investigations was Operation West End, in which journalists posed as arms dealers and secretly filmed senior army officials, bureaucrats, and even the president of the then-ruling BJP allegedly accepting bribes to facilitate a fake defence deal. The investigation created national and international attention.

Tejpal was arrested in 2013 and spent seven months in jail before the Supreme Court granted him bail.

In 2021, a sessions court in Goa acquitted Tejpal of all charges. However, the observations made by the trial judge in the 527-page judgment drew widespread criticism after she questioned the survivor's conduct.

Referring to photographs taken shortly after the alleged assault, the judge stated that the young woman was "smiling and looked happy, normal, in [a] good mood."

"She did not look disturbed, reserved, terrified or traumatised in any way even though this was immediately after she claims to have been sexually assaulted," the order said. Some lawyers told the BBC that the judgment itself appeared to be "an assault on the survivor."

The Goa government challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court.

Appearing for the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the High Court to impose the maximum punishment 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.

Addressing the court, Tejpal said, "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," according to legal website Bar and Bench.

The High Court found Tejpal guilty under multiple legal provisions, including Section 376(2)(f), which relates to rape committed by "a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman." The conviction overturns his earlier acquittal and marks a significant development in one of India's most closely watched sexual assault cases.