PANAJI: The Bombay high court has granted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal four weeks to surrender, after considering his request for additional time following his conviction in the 2013 sexual assault case.The court had earlier granted him two weeks to surrender after overturning the trial court’s acquittal and sentencing him to 10 years in prison.The surrender period has now been extended to four weeks.The case dates back to 2013, when a former junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a luxury resort in Goa during an event organised by Tehelka.A Goa trial court had acquitted Tejpal in 2021, giving him the benefit of the doubt.However, the Bombay high court’s Goa bench subsequently overturned the acquittal and convicted him in the case.The high court later sentenced Tejpal to 10 years’ imprisonment.Following the high court’s verdict, Tejpal said he would challenge the conviction before the Supreme Court.During the proceedings, Tejpal maintained his innocence and argued against the conviction.“I can be acquitted 10 times,” Tejpal told the high court while arguing against the sentence.With the surrender period now extended to four weeks, the case is set to move to the next stage as Tejpal prepares to challenge the Bombay HC’s conviction and sentence before the Supreme Court.
