The Goa bench of Bombay High Court delivered a major setback to former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal. The court overturned the trial court’s acquittal order in the 2013 sexual assault case.
The high court accepted the Goa government’s appeal and convicted Tejpal. The court will hear arguments separately regarding his sentence.
A division bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar announced the verdict. Tarun Tejpal attended the court during the judgment announcement.
The detailed order remains pending.
#WATCH | Panaji | Goa Police’s Sunita Sawant, who was the Investigating Officer in Tarun Tejpal sexual assault case, says, “The case investigation was conducted properly. All the things which came out during the investigation were presented before the court. At some point in… pic.twitter.com/AaTKPyt2VD
— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2026
Case Dates Back To 2013 THINK Festival Incident
The case relates to November 2013 during the THINK Festival in Goa. A junior female colleague of Tehelka accused Tarun Tejpal of sexual harassment and rape.
Following the complaint, Goa Police registered an FIR after taking suo motu action. Later, police arrested Tejpal in the matter.
However, in May 2021, the Mapusa sessions court acquitted Tarun Tejpal. The court gave him relief due to lack of evidence and benefit of doubt.
Afterward, the Goa government challenged that decision before Bombay High Court.
Government Challenged Evidence Assessment During Hearing
During the hearing, the state government argued that the trial court failed to properly assess available evidence. It claimed the court focused more on the survivor’s behaviour and background.
Additionally, the government said important evidence received less attention. This included an email where Tejpal had apologised.
Consequently, the high court accepted the government appeal. The court cancelled the acquittal order and convicted Tejpal.
Investigation Officer Defends Police Probe
Goa Police officer Sunita Sawant handled the investigation in the Tarun Tejpal sexual harassment case. She said the investigation followed proper procedures. According to Sawant, investigators presented all findings before the court. She said the trial court once failed to understand the evidence properly.
Furthermore, she stated that the high court heard arguments on every aspect. The court later cancelled the acquittal order.
