Tarun Tejpal taken into police custody after surrendering before Goa court

Tehelka’s former editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before a local court in Goa’s Mapusa on Monday and was subsequently taken into police custody. A senior police officer said Tejpal has been to the Central Jail in Colvale.

Outside the court in Mapusa, Tejpal told media persons, “I just want to say that we are in the Supreme Court and we are sure that justice will come.” The Supreme Court last month had rejected Tejpal’s plea seeking an exemption from surrendering in the 2013 rape of a woman journalist, in which he was convicted for aggravated rape and related offences and sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The High Court of Bombay at Goa, while sentencing Tejpal on August 6, had given him four weeks to surrender. The woman had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her in a hotel elevator in Goa on November 7 and November 8, 2013.

In 2021, a sessions court in Goa acquitted Tejpal, saying the complainant “did not demonstrate any kind of normative behaviour” a victim of sexual assault “might plausibly show”. The Goa government had appealed to the High Court.

On August 6 last month, the High Court overturned the trial court’s verdict and sentenced Tejpal to ten years in jail. In its ruling, the High Court noted that notions of a perfect victim are a myth and neither the Court nor the Respondent can decide how she should react or process her trauma.

The High Court said that the trial court “proceeded on a notion that a victim of sexual assault must behave in a stereotypical manner”. The High Court noted that the appreciation of evidence by the trial court was “not only unreasonable, but perverse”, and criticised it for permitting an “invasive, humiliating cross-examination into the victim’s past sexual history, moral views, and personal WhatsApp messages, directly violating statutory embargoes… that prohibit questioning a victim’s character or past relationships”.

Tejpal had subsequently moved the Supreme Court challenging his conviction and 10-year jail term. His appeal, challenging the August 6 ruling of the Bombay High Court in Goa, is pending. The Goa government had also moved the Supreme Court last month seeking an enhancement of his punishment and a life term.

In its appeal before the Supreme Court, the Goa government called the sentence “manifestly inadequate” and “grossly disproportionate to the nature and gravity of the offences committed”. The state said the High Court had imposed only the minimum sentence of 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for each of the two aggravated rape convictions, with the sentences to run concurrently.

The state urged the Supreme Court to enhance this to imprisonment for life, or such sentence as the court may deem fit, with the same not running concurrently. Pavneet Singh Chadha is the Goa Correspondent of The Indian Express.

His reporting focuses intensely on the state of Goa, covering major developments in politics, governance, and significant local events, which establishes his high degree of Expertise and Authority in the region. Expertise Geographic Expertise: As the Goa correspondent, Pavneet provides on-the-ground, comprehensive coverage of Goa's political, social, and cultural landscape, ensuring readers receive timely and localized insights.

Key Coverage Focus: His recent work demonstrates deep investigative capabilities and a focus on high-impact stories, including: Investigative Reporting: Extensive coverage of complex events such as major incidents (e.g., the Goa nightclub fire), tracing the legal, political, and safety lapses involved.

Government and Law Enforcement: Detailed tracking of police actions, deportations, and legal proceedings related to significant local cases. Policy and Governance: Reporting on the judiciary (e.g., Goa High Court flagging illegal structures) and the actions of government departments.

He tweets @pub_neat ... Read More