While the Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to give interim protection against arrest till Wednesday to Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal, who is facing rape and molestation charges by one of his former colleagues, Mr. Tejpal alleged in his application to the court that he was implicated in the case at the BJP’s instance.
In the application, Mr. Tejpal also sought transfer of the case from the Goa police. He submitted that “the applicant apprehends the instant investigation being carried out by the Goa police is patently tainted, unfair and being used as an opportunity to satisfy the long-standing grudge and of the political executive against the works and ideological stand of the present applicant…’’
“The bias of the BJP against the applicant [Mr. Tejpal] is a well-known fact and has earlier been nastily manifested in a manner in which Tehelka was targeted post its expose on corruption in defence deals in 2001…,’’ the application said. “The present FIR pertains to a false and concocted version of an intimate encounter between two individuals which has been played out as allegations of sexual assault against the applicant [Mr. Tejpal] and it is clear that the same are being propelled as part of some mala fide scheme.’’
