Sona Mohapatra says Tarun Tejpal's conviction feels personal after her MeToo experience.
Singer recalls losing work after speaking out during India's MeToo movement.
Bombay High Court sentenced Tarun Tejpal to 10 years in prison.
Sona Mohapatra has reacted to Tarun Tejpal's conviction in the 2013 sexual assault case, describing the verdict as deeply personal in a social media post. Reflecting on her own experience during India's MeToo movement, the singer said the case had reminded her of the professional isolation and personal cost that can come with challenging powerful men and institutions.
Sona Mohapatra on Tarun Tejpal's verdict
Sharing a reel on Instagram and X, Sona Mohapatra focused on the Bombay High Court's criticism of the idea of an "ideal" or "perfect" victim. She said the court's recognition that trauma, fear and power do not follow a fixed script was particularly significant.
Mohapatra also questioned the tendency to scrutinise survivors over how they behaved after an alleged assault. “Why did she smile? Why did she reply to that email? Why didn’t she scream? Why didn’t she report immediately?” she said, arguing that these are the wrong questions to ask. “Anyone who understands trauma knows that this isn’t about perfect victims. It’s about ordinary human beings trying to survive really shitty situations.”
Sona Mohapatra recalls her MeToo experience
The singer said the court’s observations resonated with her own experience of speaking up during India’s #MeToo movement. Recalling the professional consequences she faced, she said, “I was definitely not the one who was protected. I was punished overnight. I was thrown out of my judge’s seat on a reality show.” She added that she lost work and money while her team was also left traumatised.
Mohapatra also recalled watching influential men continue their careers despite allegations, while their supporters defended them publicly. "I watched men continue to sit comfortably on their thrones, walk red carpets, occupy judges' chairs on television, carry on as though nothing had happened," she said. "Nobody stood up for the woman." For Mohapatra, that experience remains tied to the wider question of how institutions and powerful networks respond when women speak out.
What is the Tarun Tejpal case about?
The case dates back to 2013, when a former female employee of Tehelka accused its then editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a hotel in Goa during the magazine’s annual Think festival. Tejpal denied the allegations and maintained that the encounter was consensual.
In 2021, a Goa trial court acquitted Tejpal, citing inconsistencies in the complainant’s account and questioning her conduct after the alleged sexual assault. The Bombay High Court later overturned that acquittal, calling the trial court’s reasoning perverse and rejecting the idea that a survivor must behave like a ‘perfect victim’ to be believed.
The court has finally convicted Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, with the sentences running concurrently. Tejpal has indicated that he intends to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
