Will decide Tejpal plea against surrender before listing appeal against conviction: SC

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A Single-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Monday (August 24, 2026) concluded that an appeal filed by journalist Tarun Tejpal against a 10-year sentence in a 2013 rape case cannot be listed for hearing without deciding his separate application seeking exemption from surrender.

“Until and unless, suitable orders are passed on the application seeking exemption from surrender, the appeal cannot be listed before the court. Therefore, the prayer made to list the matter before the court, without considering the application seeking exemption from surrender, cannot be accepted,” Justice Alok Aradhe recorded in a short order.

The court listed the case for August 25, and asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, to address the Single Judge Bench on the merits of the application seeking exemption from surrender. Mr. Sibal had sought that the application be listed before the Court on August 31.

On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State of Goa , had opposed the plea while citing the Supreme Court Rules, 2013.

Mr. Mehta argued that the Rules were mandatory in nature that until and unless the appellant surrendered, his appeal should not be listed before the apex court.

The top law officer however submitted daily that the apex court had the power to even do away with the requirement of surrender.

On Monday, Tejpal’s plea was listed in chamber matters before a Single Judge Bench of Justice Aradhe. Chamber matters are heard to contest and settle procedural questions before the case is listed before a Regular Bench.

On August 20, Tejpal moved the court challenging the August 6 order of the Bombay High Court. Earlier, the Goa Government had appealed to the top court seeking an enhanced sentence for the former editor of Tehelka , contending that the case warranted imprisonment for life.

The Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal of rape and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years while overturning his acquittal by the trial court five years ago. Tejpal was convicted of raping a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator in 2013. The 62-year-old journalist had claimed he was a political victim.

Mumbai / judiciary (system of justice) / court / crime / crime, law and justice / sexual assault

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