Evening news wrap: Ex-Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal convicted in rape case; Atiq Ahmed's son killed in road accident

A courtroom verdict and a fatal crash dominate the day’s news.

The Bombay high court convicted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal in a rape case and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, overturning a trial court’s 2021 acquittal. The case relates to the alleged rape of a colleague in the elevator of a starred hotel in Goa in 2013. The high court was hearing the Goa government’s appeal against the acquittal and granted Tejpal two weeks to surrender. Read full story

Abaan, the son of deceased gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, was killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi after the SUV he was travelling in crashed into a divider. His friend Sonu also died in the accident, while three others sustained injuries and were admitted to a medical college for treatment. According to police, the Hyundai Creta was travelling from Prayagraj to Jhansi when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to hit the divider. Read full story

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said it will continue to function as a public pressure group instead of entering electoral politics for now. The announcement came after a two-day meeting of the party’s core team in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Founder Abijeet Dipke said the organisation will focus on building a nationwide citizens’ movement on issues such as unemployment, education, transparency, accountability and institutional reforms, while also launching a campaign titled “Kya Bolti Public.

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Students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s government recruitment process intensified their agitation, demanding chief minister Hemant Soren’s resignation over the government’s failure to address their concerns. A hunger-striking protester called Soren “unfit” to hold office, accusing him of ignoring the demonstrations despite returning from Bengaluru. The protesters also announced plans to gherao the state Assembly on August 10, saying they would continue their agitation until their demands are met. Read full story

The Lok Sabha passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill without any discussion as persistent sloganeering by Opposition members disrupted proceedings. The legislation, which also amends the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, aims to attract greater foreign investment, boost domestic electronics manufacturing and simplify the use of India-based data centres by overseas cloud service providers. Following its passage, the House was adjourned for the day. Read full story