Investigative journalist and Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal, convicted for raping a junior colleague in 2013, believes “he is a victim” and asked for leniency from the court.
The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 alleged sexual assault case filed by his junior colleague.
The Bombay High Court’s Goa bench was delivering the verdict on the Goa government’s appeal challenging the acquittal of Tejpal in the alleged sexual assault case by the Goa Sessions Court in 2021.
“I am 62 and I believe I am a victim. 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 for me. Rest all facts are placed on record,”Tejpal said to the court.
The case was filed by a young woman, whose identity has not been revealed in accordance with the law, said Tejpal had assaulted her twice in the hotel elevator on the sidelines of ThinkFest, an annual event sponsored by the magazine, on November 7 and 8 in 2013. Tejpal was arrested on November 30 the same year.
Tejpal initially expressed remorse about the incident, saying it had resulted from “an awful misreading of the situation.” But after the charges were filed, he said he was the victim of a “political vendetta.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa state, argued that Tejpal “could not take a no for a no”.
The judge asked if there is any other case against Tejpal.
“Milords, there has been no FIR, complaint or bad behaviour,” Tejpal’s lawyer said.
At this point, Tejpal rose to address the court and asked for leniency.
The Solicitor General urged the court to grant maximum punishment to Tejpal considering the fact that despite the victim saying no he did not relent.
“Despite the victim, a girl of his daughter’s age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure, should have not indulged into this. A precedent must be set. The victim refused but he kept advancing on two subsequent days. This court must give out a clear message to the society that when a girl says no, it means no. A no means a no,” Mehta said.
