PANAJI: Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal’s daughter Cara Tejpal has defended her father after the Bombay high court convicted him in a 2013 rape case, saying she had studied the evidence for 13 years and remained convinced of his innocence, news agency PTI said on Saturday.Cara said she was prepared to face criticism for supporting her father, including being called a “rape apologist” or the “child of 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 in a statement.Earlier on Thursday, the Bombay High Court overturned Tejpal’s 2021 acquittal by a trial court and convicted him of raping a junior colleague in 2013. The verdict followed an appeal filed by the Goa government against his acquittal.Cara said she had initially been “terrified of speaking the truth” after her father’s arrest and was affected by the media coverage of the case. She said she no longer wanted to remain silent despite the criticism that could follow.“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 rapist’ or whatever vile slur is used against me,” she said.She also connected the case to Tehelka’s investigative journalism, referring to the magazine’s reports on corruption and alleged wrongdoing by people in power.Cara alleged that her father was targeted because of Tehelka’s work and claimed the rape allegation was used to “silence” him.“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.She further alleged that the case was surrounded 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” instead of relying on headlines and what she described as uninformed public discourse.Tejpal was arrested in November 2013 after being accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator during a Tehelka event in Goa.The Sessions Court in Mapusa acquitted him in May 2021, following which the Goa government challenged the verdict in the High Court.The Bombay High Court described the trial court’s decision as “perverse”, saying it had relied on the idea that a sexual assault complainant must be a “perfect victim” and behave in a particular way to be considered credible.The High Court initially directed Tejpal to surrender within two weeks, but later extended the deadline to four weeks after a request from his lawyers.The 62-year-old journalist has said he was a political victim and is expected to challenge the conviction in the Supreme Court.
