PANAJI: Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before the Mapusa court on Monday, complying with the Supreme Court's direction that he surrender before his appeal against his conviction can be heard.
Tejpal's surrender came after the North Goa Additional Sessions Court rejected his request for additional time. He had approached the court seeking an extension but subsequently agreed to surrender on September 14.
The Supreme Court had earlier rejected Tejpal's plea seeking exemption from surrender and granted him three weeks to surrender and submit a surrender certificate. The apex court had made the surrender a condition for his criminal appeal against the conviction and sentence to proceed.
According to the Supreme Court's directions, Tejpal's appeal is scheduled to be listed before the regular court on September 22, provided the surrender certificate is filed by September 21.
The latest development follows the August 6 verdict of the High Court of Bombay at Goa, which overturned Tejpal's acquittal by the trial court and convicted him in the 2013 rape case.
The High Court sentenced Tejpal to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a junior woman colleague inside a hotel elevator in Goa in November 2013 during an event organised by Tehelka.
A Goa trial court had acquitted Tejpal of all charges in 2021. The Goa government subsequently challenged the acquittal before the High Court.
The High Court, after examining the case, reversed the trial court's verdict and held Tejpal guilty. It rejected the state government's plea seeking life imprisonment and imposed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment term, which it said was the minimum sentence prescribed for the offence.
Tejpal subsequently challenged the High Court's conviction and sentence before the Supreme Court.
During the August hearing before the apex court, Tejpal's lawyers sought exemption from surrendering while his appeal remained pending. The Supreme Court rejected the request and directed him to surrender before the appeal could be taken up for hearing.
The apex court's order stated that once the surrender certificate is filed, Tejpal's criminal appeal would be listed before the regular court on September 22.
Separately, the Goa government has approached the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of Tejpal's sentence to life imprisonment. Tejpal, meanwhile, continues to challenge both his conviction and the 10-year sentence imposed by the High Court.
