Tarun Tejpal’s daughter, Cara Tejpal, has defended her father’s innocence after the former editor was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court in a rape case dating back to 2013.
Cara said she remained convinced of her father’s innocence after examining the evidence in the case over the past 13 years. She urged others to study the evidence themselves rather than forming opinions based solely on media headlines.
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She also alleged that her father’s conviction had been politically engineered by the BJP, claiming that the party had been repeatedly exposed during Tejpal’s tenure.
The High Court’s Goa bench on Thursday sentenced Tejpal to 10 years’ imprisonment and directed him to surrender after overturning the trial court’s acquittal.
The case relates to allegations that a former junior colleague was sexually assaulted inside a hotel elevator during ThinkFest, an event organised in Goa in November 2013. The alleged incident took place at a five-star hotel on November 7 and 8, 2013.
Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013, following the allegations and subsequently stepped down as editor-in-chief .
In May 2021, a Goa trial court acquitted Tejpal of all charges, including wrongful confinement, assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty, sexual harassment and rape.
The Goa government challenged the acquittal, eventually leading to the High Court proceedings that resulted in the conviction and 10-year sentence.
Tejpal has maintained his innocence and has indicated that he will challenge the High Court verdict before the Supreme Court.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
