Supreme Court Directs Tarun Tejpal To Surrender Within 3 Weeks To Hear Appeal Against Rape Conviction - Live Law

**Supreme Court Orders Tarun Tejpal to Surrender Within Three Weeks for Appeal Hearing**

New Delhi – The apex court on Thursday issued a directive requiring former journalist and media entrepreneur Tarun Tejpal to surrender to the authorities within three weeks so that his appeal against the 2018 rape conviction can be heard. Tejpal, the founder of *India Today* and *Scroll.in*, was found guilty by a Goa trial court of raping a former *India Today* staffer in 2013 and was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, a verdict that the Supreme Court has now agreed to review. The order, delivered in a sealed hearing, stipulates that Tejpal must present himself at the designated police station and furnish a personal bond, after which the court will schedule a hearing on his challenge to the conviction and sentence.

The Supreme Court’s intervention comes after a series of procedural delays that saw Tejpal remain out on bail while the trial progressed. The court noted that the appeal, filed under Article 136 of the Constitution, cannot proceed unless the appellant is in custody or has formally surrendered, a requirement aimed at preventing indefinite postponement of criminal proceedings. By setting a three‑week deadline, the bench seeks to balance Tejpal’s right to appeal with the interests of justice and the rights of the survivor, who has maintained that the conviction should stand as a deterrent against sexual violence.

The directive has sparked varied responses. The Goa state government, which had earlier questioned the maintainability of the appeal on grounds that the conviction was final, welcomed the court’s clear timeline, calling it a “necessary step to uphold the rule of law.” Legal analysts, however, see the case as a litmus test for India’s evolving rape jurisprudence; the outcome may influence pending reforms aimed at making the criminal justice system more survivor‑centric. Human‑rights groups have reiterated that while the appeal is a legal right, the focus must remain on ensuring accountability and preventing the misuse of legal processes to undermine victims’ rights.