PANAJI — Cara Tejpal, daughter of former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, has strongly rejected assertions that the survivor in the sexual assault case against her father was a childhood friend or regarded him as a "father figure," labeling the claim an "absolute untruth."
In an official public statement released on Wednesday, Cara sought to clarify the history between the two families following recent legal developments in the high-profile case.
"Yes, it is true that my father and the complainant's father briefly worked in the same office in the 90s. What is untrue is that they were close comrades or that we were family friends to any degree," Cara said in her statement.
She added that she was unaware of the survivor's existence until adulthood, pointing out that the survivor is older than both her and her elder sister. Cara further emphasized that the "father figure" characterisation had already been thoroughly examined during the trial before the Mapusa Sessions Court in Goa.
Legal Background
The case dates back to November 2013, when Goa Police arrested Tarun Tejpal after a colleague—then a junior journalist at Tehelka—alleged that he sexually assaulted her inside an elevator at a luxury hotel in Goa during the magazine’s annual ThinkFest event.
In May 2021, a sessions court acquitted Tejpal of all charges, ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the state government appealed the verdict before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court.
Setting aside the lower court’s acquittal, the High Court recently convicted Tejpal of rape and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Tejpal has maintained his innocence, stating he intends to challenge the High Court’s judgment in the Supreme Court of India.
