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New Delhi: Former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal, who was exploring legal options in the 2013 sexual harassment case, has finally had to go behind the bars. In the absence of any immediate relief from the Supreme Court and following the instructions issued earlier, the 62-year-old journalist surrendered before the police in Goa on Monday. Immediately after the completion of the legal formalities of surrender, he was sent to Colvale Jail in Bardez amid tight security arrangements. This dramatic development comes just weeks after the Bombay High Court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Resolve to continue legal battle

During the process of going to jail, the former editor's attitude still appeared aggressive. He clearly said that he will not step back from this legal decision and will continue his plea for justice before the apex court.
Speaking to the media, he reiterated that he has full faith in the judiciary of the country and will present his arguments strongly in the Supreme Court against the decision of the High Court.

Decision after strict order of Supreme Court

This entire incident is a link to the important order of the Supreme Court on August 25, in which the court had made it clear that Tejpal will have to go to jail before hearing the petition against the sentence. The apex court, while rejecting his interim petition seeking relief, had given him strict instructions to surrender within two weeks.

The court had put a condition in its order that until the surrender certificate is not filed, his main petition will not be considered. The last deadline for compliance of this order was fixed as 22nd September, due to which Tejpal had to take this step of surrender.

From the decision of the Sessions Court to the punishment of the High Court

The case took a big turn when on August 6, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court rejected the earlier decision of the lower court. In 2021, the Goa Sessions Court acquitted Tejpal on the basis of evidence, but hearing the state government's appeal, the High Court found him guilty of raping a junior colleague in the lift of a resort hotel in 2013. The court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Although initially the High Court had given four weeks' time to approach the higher court, later when the case reached the Supreme Court, the condition of surrender was made mandatory.

Long legal process and government's stance

Tejpal had already spent almost a year in jail in this case registered in November 2013, after which he was granted bail. On the other hand, the Goa government is adopting a tougher stance in this matter. The state government has filed a separate petition in the Supreme Court to commute Tejpal's 10-year sentence to life imprisonment. Now all eyes are on the fixed date of September 22 and the future stand of the Supreme Court.