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An Indian court has handed down a 10-year prison sentence to prominent journalist Tarun Tejpal for sexually assaulting a junior colleague. The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court issued the ruling on Thursday, also imposing a fine of $5,250 on the 63-year-old former editor. Tejpal was given a two-week period before he must report to begin serving his sentence.
The conviction centers on an incident dating back to 2013, when the alleged assault occurred in an elevator at a luxury hotel during a magazine event. The case initially resulted in acquittal in 2021, but authorities successfully challenged that decision at the appellate level. Tejpal has consistently maintained his innocence and indicated his intention to contest the verdict through further legal proceedings at India’s highest court.
The case emerged during a period of intense national focus on violence against women in India. Following the high-profile gang rape case in New Delhi in late 2012, the government implemented stricter sexual assault legislation. Tejpal previously claimed the charges against him reflected political persecution, and he spent seven months in detention before securing release on bail years ago.
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Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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