Finally Tejpal Lands in Goa Jail

Finally TarunTejpal has landed in Goa jail for trying to rape a young woman journalist of his own magazine Tehelka. Tejpal’s last attempt to cooperate in the police investigation as a free man failed last night when the District and Sessions Judge of Panjim rejected his anticipatory bail application.

There were fears and apprehensions that many supporters of Tejpal in the government and in the Congress Party would help him secure bail. Questions were being raised as to why the Goa Police did not arrest the accused at Delhi airport or immediately after Tejpal landed in Panjim. The Goa Police could have arrested him at the airport but it followed the rule book. Armed with the statement of the victim and the CCTV footage that showed Tejpal dragging the girl into the hotel lift, the investigating team of the Goa Police went by the letter and spirit of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) allowing the accused full liberty to avail legal remedies to defend himself so that no one could charge the Parrikar Government and the State Police with vendetta against self proclaimed journalist supporting the Congress Party.

The matter does not stop here. Tarun Tejpal and his past conduct need thorough probe. The huge amount of money that he pumped into his business should be investigated into.

I quote Tavleen Singh, a columnist who writes in the Indian Express of Sunday 1^st December 2013. She writes referring to the sting operation on Bangaru Laxaman, then the BJP President in 2001, “… for me even its first sting operation was entrapment and not investigative journalism”.

She further writes, “There is no harm in a newspaper openly supporting a political party, but to do it under the guise of investigative journalism that targets only the other side is wrong. In my view to build a business empire from money taken from dodgy businessmen under the cloak of righteous journalism is wrong”.

There are few in today’s world of journalism in India who can stand against dubious operations of journalists, be it sexual exploitation of juniors at work or working as power brokers in the corridors of power.

 But at the same time it must be said that still there are good number of journalists whose integrity cannot be questioned. Who work with ethics and hence journalism remains watchdog of democracy notwithstanding some black sheep in the profession.

With Tarun Tejpal, the Congress Party’s dirty trick managers have also been exposed. After initial chest beating on Tejpal’s being investigated by the Goa Police, a BJP ruled state, the battery of Congress leaders who came in open to defend the accused have fallen silent.

Further investigation into the Tejpal’s business empire would reveal and expose some big names in the Congress Party and in the Central Government who funded Tehelka and its dirty operations in the name of journalism.

I further quote Tavleen Singh whose observations on the state of affairs of journalism in India need serious introspection.

“What the whole sordid story gives us though is a chance to talk about how badly the Indian media has been damaged by the collusion between journalists, politicians and rich businessmen”.

As I write this piece, the news from Panjim says that the local magistrate has granted only 6 days of police custody for interrogation of the accused Tarun Tejpal against 14 days police remand sought by the investigating team.

~R. K. Sinha