The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the State of Goa on a plea filed by former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, challenging the Bombay High Court’s judgment convicting him in a 2013 rape case and sentencing him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.

A Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B Varale took up Tejpal’s appeal. Senior AdvocateKapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, submitted that the case involved a reversal of an acquittal by the High Court and emphasised Tejpal’s right to challenge the conviction before the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had rejected Tejpal’s plea seeking exemption from surrender and directed him to surrender before the concerned authorities within three weeks. The Court had declined to allow him to remain out of custody while challenging the Bombay High Court’s judgment convicting him in the 2013 rape case and sentencing him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. Following the direction, Tejpal surrendered.

Tejpal’s plea arises from the August 6 judgment of the Bombay High Court’s Goa Bench, which overturned his acquittal by the trial court and convicted him in connection with allegations that he sexually assaulted a junior colleague inside an elevator at a hotel in Goa in November 2013. The High Court subsequently sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment. The High Court had also rejected the State’s plea seeking life imprisonment. The High Court also rejected the State’s plea for life imprisonment, after which the State filed an SLP seeking enhancement of the sentence.