Supreme Court to rule on Tarun Tejpal surrender exemption plea

The Supreme Court will pass orders on former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal's plea to avoid immediate surrender while his appeal against a 10-year rape conviction is heard. On Monday, the Goa government told the court Tejpal must surrender or seek an exemption before the appeal can be listed. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Tejpal, argued the Bombay High Court's grant of four weeks to surrender protects him, and his appeal should be heard on merits first.

Justice Alok Aradhe heard the matter in chambers and said he would pass an appropriate order. Tejpal was convicted on August 6 on two counts of aggravated rape by the Bombay High Court at Goa, which overturned his trial court acquittal. The high court granted him four weeks to surrender, meaning he must report to jail in early September unless the Supreme Court rules otherwise. The Goa government has separately sought enhancement of his sentence to life imprisonment. Tejpal denies the allegations from the 2013 incident at a Goa hotel.