The 10-year jail term handed by the Bombay High Court to Tarun Tejpal for raping a colleague is “disproportionate” to the gravity of the crime, the Goa government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday, demanding harsher punishment for the former journalist.
The government has demanded either life imprisonment or “whatever punishment the court deems fit” for his crime. During the hearing, the prosecution punched holes in the sessions court’s acquittal, saying it committed a serious error by noting that the survivor did not demonstrate “normative behaviour” that a survivor of sexual assault “might plausibly show”.
Tejpal Claims Victim Status After Conviction
Following his conviction, Tarun Tejpal, 62, addressed the court, asserting his own victimhood. He stated, “I have a wife, and there’s not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient with me.”
The court’s ruling highlighted its reliance on outdated stereotypes regarding victim behavior. It noted that the judgment was influenced by assumptions about how an ideal victim should react physically and emotionally, even criticizing the victim for her smiling demeanor during work events after the incident.
