Panaji, Aug 6 Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in a 2013 rape case, on Thursday claimed he was a "political victim" who had been targeted for the past 13 years because of his journalistic work, and alleged his career and printing of his books had been stopped.
Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Tejpal said he would challenge the Bombay High Court's judgment in the Supreme Court, and also expressed confidence that the truth will eventually come out.
"We will be appealing against this order. We feel the order is wrong. We will be moving the Supreme Court against the order," he said.
Alleging that he had been singled out because of his work with Tehelka, Tejpal said, "We will go to the Supreme Court definitely. We have no doubt that for the past 13 years they are after me because of my work with Tehelka. We got acquitted after seven years fighting the case in the trial court, they are again after us."
He further claimed that people who had spoken or written against those in power were being targeted.
"The people who are with them, they are acquitted but the people who have done journalism against them or they have said something against them, they are after such people. Look at the number of cases in the past 12 years where they have trapped people who were against them. Umar Khalid has been there in jail for the past six years, there are many people like us," he said.
Tejpal also alleged that the case had effectively ended his journalistic career.
"They have stopped my journalism, they have stopped Tehelka, they have stopped my books from being printed. I have full faith in the judiciary. In such a big-size judiciary, there must be judges who will see my truth. The truth will come out," he said.
In a major setback to Tejpal, the Bombay High Court's Goa bench on Thursday convicted him of raping a former junior colleague in 2013, setting aside his acquittal by a Goa sessions court in 2021. The high court later sentenced him to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment.
While Tejpal sought leniency, claiming he was a "political victim" and the father of two daughters, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa government, pressed for the maximum punishment to send a strong message that "no means no".
Tejpal was convicted under Sections 376(2)(f) (rape by a person in a position of trust or authority), 354A (sexual harassment) and 354B (assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The case relates to allegations by a former junior colleague that the veteran journalist sexually assaulted her inside a hotel elevator during the ThinkFest event in Goa in November 2013.
Tejpal was acquitted by a Goa sessions court in 2021, but the Goa government challenged the verdict before the Bombay High Court, which allowed the appeal, convicted him and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.
