'Weight Lifted From My Heart': Survivor's Mother Welcomes Tarun Tejpal's Conviction After Years-Long Battle
News india 'Weight Lifted From My Heart': Survivor's Mother Welcomes Tarun Tejpal's Conviction After Years-Long Battle 'Weight Lifted From My Heart': Survivor's Mother Welcomes Tarun
News india 'Weight Lifted From My Heart': Survivor's Mother Welcomes Tarun Tejpal's Conviction After Years-Long Battle 'Weight Lifted From My Heart': Survivor's Mother Welcomes Tarun Tejpal's Conviction After Years-Long Battle Published By, Last Updated: August 06, 2026, 12:38 IST The mother of the survivor in the Tarun Tejpal case says the Bombay High Court's conviction has lifted a heavy weight from her heart, thanking the Goa government. The survivor's mother said the Bombay High Court's conviction of Tarun Tejpal lifted a "heavy weight" from her heart after a years-long legal battle. (Photo: PTI) The mother of the woman who accused former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal of sexual assault has welcomed the Bombay High Court’s decision to convict him, saying the verdict has brought her a sense of relief after a legal battle that stretched for years. Reacting to the judgment, she told CNN-News18, “I could only say that the final verdict has lifted a heavy weight from my heart." Reflecting on the prolonged proceedings, she said, “It was painful… these long years and took a lot of strength to keep going." She also thanked the Goa government and its legal team for pursuing the case.
“I could only thank the Goa government and their lawyers who believed and fought for justice," she said. High Court Overturns Tarun Tejpal’s Acquittal The reaction came shortly after the Bombay High Court set aside Tarun Tejpal’s acquittal in the 2013 Goa sexual assault case and convicted him under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code. A bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar said, “We set aside the trial court order of acquittal. The respondent (Tejpal) stands convicted." Tejpal has been convicted under Sections 376(2)(f), 354(a) and 354(b) of the IPC. Under Section 376, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. The High Court is scheduled to pronounce the sentence later in the day. Tejpal Seeks Leniency, Says He Will Move Supreme Court Following the conviction, Tejpal urged the court to show leniency, saying he was 62 years old, the father of two daughters, had a wife and was a “political victim." His counsel, Aabad Ponda, requested the minimum punishment and sought suspension of the conviction and sentence for at least 10 weeks to enable an appeal before the Supreme Court.
Later, speaking to reporters, Tejpal said he would challenge the High Court verdict. ALSO READ | Tarun Tejpal Convicted In Sexual Assault Case: How The 2021 Acquittal Turned Into Conviction In 2026 “We will be appealing against this order. We feel the order is wrong. We will be moving to the Supreme Court against the order," he said. Goa Government Presses For Maximum Punishment Appearing for the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought the maximum punishment, arguing that Tejpal was in a position of trust and dominance over the complainant and had shown no remorse. He told the court that the punishment should send a strong deterrent message, adding that “no means no." Mehta also argued that the trial court had erred in judging the complainant’s conduct based on preconceived notions of how a survivor of sexual assault should behave, saying there is no universal standard for a survivor’s response. The case relates to allegations that a former junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator during the ThinkFest event in Goa in November 2013.
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