NEW DELHI: The Goa government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking enhanced punishment for rape convict and former editor of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal, reported news agency ANI.The Bombay high court (Goa) had recently convicted and sentenced Tejpal to ten years of rigorous imprisonment in the rape case.Tejpal was convicted under Sections 376 (2)(f) (person who is a guardian or in a position of trust or authority rapes a woman), 354-A (sexual harassment) and 354-B (using criminal force on a woman with an intent to disrobe her) of the IPC.Section 376(2)(f) of the IPC applies when a person in a position of trust, authority or a guardian/relative commits rape.Section 354-A IPC penalises sexual harassment committed by a man and covers unwelcome physical contact, demands for sexual favours, showing pornography without consent and making sexually coloured remarks.Section 354-B of the IPC penalises any man who assaults, uses criminal force or abets such an act against a woman with the intent to disrobe her or compel her to be naked.The conviction came 13 years after the alleged assault inside an elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa during a Tehelka event.
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The Bombay high court overturned the trial court’s 2021 acquittal, found Tejpal guilty of rape and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.Moments after the court convicted him, Tejpal appealed for a lenient sentence, describing himself as a “political victim” and drawing a comparison with jailed activist Umar Khalid.Addressing the division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar after the court reversed his 2021 acquittal, Tejpal said he was 62 years old, a father of two and had been unfairly targeted.
