The acquittal by a Mapusa Goa-based sessions court of Tarun Tejpal, publisher-editor of Tehelka, the once well-known investigative journalism magazine, on a rape charge on May 21, has come as a slap in the face of the monstrous regiment of women whose full-time occupation is to instigate gender wars. Now eight years after the incident, Tejpal has been acquitted on all charges. Implicit in the sessions court verdict — pronounced after the victim was cross-examined for over 100 hours — is acceptance of the defence that there was some degree of consent in the contretemps. Tejpal’s predicament was aggravated by an ill-advised written (emailed) mea culpa sent by him to his victim apologising “unconditionally for the shameful lapse of judgement that led me to attempt a sexual liaison with you”. Yet this apology letter which should have worked in his favour was used by the monstrous regiment to initiate a national witch-hunt led by rabble-rousing Republic Television news anchor Arnab Goswami among others,who forced the Goa police to file formal sexual assault and rape charges against Tejpal. In the circumstances a minor sexual harassment incident, which should have ended with Tejpal’s mea culpa, ballooned into a cause celebre. The true villains of this latter-day tragedy are feminist warriors who instigated the young woman journalist to blow up this minor sexual encounter into a full-blown rape case. Now even as they sit pretty on the sidelines, the careers of two media professionals and the promising investigative magazine have been ruined. Well-intentioned legislation to prevent sexual assaults against women was hijacked to make a broader protest and a test case against male chauvinism. Following Tejpal’s acquittal the Goa government has vowed an appeal against the sessions court verdict. This indignation is unwarranted. Enough damage has been done. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
