September 17, 2026

India court sentences journalist Tarun Tejpal to 10 years in jail for rape

Tejpal claims to be a “political victim”

India court sentences journalist Tarun Tejpal to 10 years in jail for rape
Tarun Tejpal, the 50-year-old founder and editor-in-chief of India's leading investigative magazine Tehelka, speaks with the media upon his arrival at the airport on his way to Goa, in New Delhi Nov 29, 2013. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

bdnews24.com

Reuters

Published : 07 Aug 2026, 02:45 AM

Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:30 AM

A court in India convicted former top magazine editor Tarun Tejpal of raping a colleague 12 years ago and sentenced him to ten years in prison, in a high-profile case that had fuelled debates about the safety of women in Indian workplaces.

●    Tejpal, 62, was convicted of rape and sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment after the two-judge Goa bench of the Bombay High Court set aside an earlier acquittal in 2021 by a trial court in the coastal state of Goa, where the crime occurred.

●    Tejpal said he was innocent and would appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court. He said he was a political victim.

●    The court ordered him to surrender to authorities in four weeks' time, Goa's top government lawyer, Devidas Pangam, told reporters after the sentencing.

●    Tejpal was editor of "Tehelka" magazine when he was accused by a female colleague of sexually assaulting and raping her during a conference in Goa in November 2013.

●    There was no comment from the complainant, who cannot be identified under Indian law to protect her privacy.

●    Tejpal co-founded Tehelka, which made a name for itself by exposing corruption and abuse of power in high places.

Related Stories