Former Tehelka editor-in-chief and journalist Tarun Tejpal has surrendered to serve his 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence in a 2013 rape case. Following the order of the Supreme Court, he surrendered before the Mapusa Court of Goa on Monday, after which he was sent to the Central Jail located in Colvale, North Goa, to serve the sentence. The Supreme Court had directed him to surrender before hearing his appeal against his sentence. After this, Tarun Tejpal had demanded additional time to surrender but his demand was rejected by the Admission Sessions Court of Goa. After this he surrendered today on 14th September.
This case against Tarun Tejpal is of the year 2013. He was accused of sexually harassing a junior female colleague in the lift of a hotel in Goa. After hearing the case, the Trial Court of Goa acquitted him of all charges in the year 2021. After this, the Goa government challenged this decision in the Bombay High Court.
In this case, on 6 August 2026, the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court overturned the decision of the trial court. The High Court convicted Tarun Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. After this Tejpal moved the Supreme Court against this decision. A demand was made in the Supreme Court on behalf of Tejpal for exemption from surrender.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear this case but before that the court asked Tarun Tejpal to surrender. The Supreme Court, in its order on August 25, had said that Tejpal should surrender within three weeks to serve a 10-year jail sentence after being convicted by the Bombay High Court. Justice Alok Aradhe's bench had rejected Tarun Tejpal's plea for exemption from surrender.
The Supreme Court in its order had said that if the surrender certificate is submitted on or before September 21, 2026, the registry will list the criminal appeal for hearing before the regular court on September 22, 2026. In such a situation, now Tarun Tejpal has surrendered and now his case can be heard in the court. After surrendering, Tarun Tejpal said that he is now going to the Supreme Court and he hopes that he will definitely get justice.
