Supreme Court Rejects Tejpal's Exemption Plea, Orders Surrender

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea filed by rape accused and former Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal, seeking exemption from surrender till his appeal against the order of conviction passed by the Bombay High Court is heard. The Supreme Court issued its direction while hearing a petition filed by Tejpal through a single-judge Bench of Justice Alok Aradhe.

Court Rejects Exemption Application & Fixes Surrender Date

According to Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, arguing for Tejpal in Court, the Court has the power to exempt from the surrender requirement in such cases and may hear the criminal appeal without Tejpal having surrendered first. However, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the State of Goa contended that it was a case involving rape where 10-year rigorous imprisonment was applicable. Justice Aradhe said that the Court was hearing the exemption application because the Court had the jurisdiction to do so. The court asked the parties to limit their arguments to that issue only and not the merits of the appeal. On being asked about the period Tejpal would require, he sought 2 weeks, after which his exemption application was dismissed.

Arguments in Tejpal's Defence Based on CCTV Footage

Tejpal is filing an appeal because he intends to contest the decision of the High Court which quashed his acquittal in the 2013 case. Tejpal is basing his argument on CCTV footage from the lift of a hotel in Goa. According to Tejpal, the CCTV footage along with the statement from the security manager is enough proof that the doors of the lift remained open for a few seconds. This particular point, according to Tejpal, goes against the claim made by the victim.