‘Portray him as…a rapist’: Tarun Tejpal’s daughter alleges political targeting
Cara Tejpal, daughter of former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, claimed that his conviction by the Bombay High Court was because of his father's investigative journalism
Cara Tejpal, daughter of former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, claimed that his conviction by the Bombay High Court was because of his father's investigative journalism. It made him a target; the rape allegation was being used as a means to "silence" him, she said. In a statement issued on Saturday, Cara sought to link the case to Tehelka's investigative journalism and the “controversies surrounding the magazine's reports on corruption” and alleged wrongdoing by those in power. “Tarun Tejpal was more than a thorn in the side of the BJP government, and what better way to silence him than to portray him as the most reviled of all sinners-a rapist,” the statement said. Don't care about being called ‘rape apologist’ Cara said she had examined the evidence in the case for 13 years and was convinced that her father was innocent, and she did not care if she was labelled a "rape apologist" or the "child of a rapist".
"I was 23 years old when my father was arrested. I was 31 when he was acquitted, and today, at 36, I stand by him as he is convicted by the Bombay High Court on the basis of a false allegation of rape filed suo moto by the state of Goa," she said. Cara said she had initially been "terrified of speaking the truth" when her father was arrested and was deeply affected by the media coverage surrounding the case. She said she was no longer willing to remain silent despite the criticism she could face for supporting her father. "I'm not that 23-year-old anymore. I'm 36, and I couldn't care less about being called a 'rape apologist' or 'child of a rapist' or whatever vile slur is used against me," she said.
Cara also alleged that the case was accompanied by a strong public narrative that discouraged people from questioning the allegations. "The truth is the truth. No court, no prime minister, no godi media can take that from us," she said, urging people to read the "actual facts of the case" rather than relying on headlines and what she described as uninformed public discourse. Also Read | Tarun Tejpal sentenced to 10 years in 2013 sexual assault case What is the Tarun Tejpal sexual assault case? The HC on Thursday convicted the 62-year-old journalist of raping a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator in 2013 during an event organised by the magazine in Goa. The verdict came on an appeal filed by the Goa government against his acquittal. Tarun Tejpal was arrested in November 2013 following allegations that he had sexually assaulted a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator during an event organised by the Tehelka magazine in Goa.
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