📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Rajasabh7788
Crime
Supreme Court seeks replies in Tejpal rape case; Goa pushes for life term
✍️ India Today
🗓 25 Sep 2026, 03:46 PM
👁 10
The Supreme Court has asked former India Today editor Tejpal and the Goa government to file their responses after the state demanded a life sentence for the rape conviction.
The Supreme Court in New Delhi issued a notice to both parties in the high‑profile rape case involving former India Today editor Mahendra Singh Tejpal. Tejpal, who was convicted of rape and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, has filed an appeal challenging the verdict.
The state government of Goa, where the crime was alleged to have occurred, has moved the apex court seeking that the conviction be enhanced to a life term, arguing that the gravity of the offence warrants the harshest penalty.
In its order, the court directed Tejpal and the Goa government to submit their written replies within a stipulated period, signalling that the matter will be heard in detail after the submissions are received.
Legal experts note that the Supreme Court’s directive is procedural, allowing both sides to present arguments before any further judicial determination. The outcome could set a precedent for how sexual‑offence convictions are reviewed at the highest level.
The state government of Goa, where the crime was alleged to have occurred, has moved the apex court seeking that the conviction be enhanced to a life term, arguing that the gravity of the offence warrants the harshest penalty.
In its order, the court directed Tejpal and the Goa government to submit their written replies within a stipulated period, signalling that the matter will be heard in detail after the submissions are received.
Legal experts note that the Supreme Court’s directive is procedural, allowing both sides to present arguments before any further judicial determination. The outcome could set a precedent for how sexual‑offence convictions are reviewed at the highest level.