The Supreme Court on Friday declined to suspend the 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence imposed on journalist and former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal following his conviction in a 2013 rape case.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale rejected Tejpal’s application for suspension of sentence after considering arguments presented by lawyers representing him and the Goa government.
The bench said it was not inclined to grant the relief sought by the 62-year-old journalist, who has separately challenged his conviction and sentence before the apex court.
Bombay High Court Reversed Trial Court Acquittal
On August 6, the Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal of raping a junior colleague in a hotel elevator during an event organised by Tehelka magazine in Goa in 2013.
The High Court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, reversing the trial court’s decision to acquit him five years earlier.
Following the High Court’s ruling, Tejpal approached the Supreme Court on August 20, challenging the conviction and sentence.
Tejpal has maintained that he was subjected to political vendetta.
The latest Supreme Court order leaves his request for suspension of sentence unsuccessful. His challenge to the High Court’s judgement was the basis on which he had approached the apex court.
