PANAJI
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused interim relief to former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal while also declining an early hearing of his appeal against his conviction and 10-year rigorous imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case.
The Bench also issued notices to the respective respondents, including Tejpal and the Goa government, on separate pleas before it.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam said Tejpal’s counsel had sought interim relief as well as an early hearing of his appeal, but the Supreme Court declined both requests. The Court granted the Goa government time to file its reply to Tejpal’s appeal challenging his conviction and sentence by the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Tejpal surrendered before the trial court on September 14 after the SC last month rejected his plea seeking deferment of his surrender and directed him to surrender within two weeks to begin serving his sentence.
The High Court, in its August 6 judgment, reversed Tejpal’s acquittal and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. While declining to stay his conviction, the High Court had granted him four weeks to surrender.
Separately, the Goa government filed a Special Leave Petition before the SC seeking enhancement of Tejpal’s sentence from 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment to life imprisonment.
