CONTROVERSY: Eduardo Faleiro on the Tejpal arrest -------------------------------------------------------
We should condemn the misuse of the Goa Police by the present Government in the case of Tarun Tejpal, the founding editor of Tehelka. We cannot go into the merits of the case at this stage and the true facts will be known only after examination of the CCTV footage at the hotel where the Think Fest was held earlier this month and after Shri Tejpal, the young journalist and the managing editor of Tehelka depose in Court. However, it is now very obvious that the BJP at the national level as well as the State Government in Goa are bent on settling scores and harassing Shri Tejpal to the utmost. It may be recalled that Tarun Tejpal had exposed corruption in Defence deals during the BJP rule in 2001 and as a result the then BJP national President Shri Bangaru Laxman and the then Union Defence Minister were compelled to resign. Shri Bangaru Laxman was also sentenced to four years in jail under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Thereafter, Tehelka did a report on the Bajrang Dal and several BJP politicians for their role in the massacre during the 2002 Gujarat violence. It also produced a report on Shri Ram Sena by showing that it took money to organize attacks against innocent people and organizations. Shri Tejpal has won several national and international awards, including awards from the International Press Institute for Excellence in Journalism in the years 2010 and 2011. Whilst the Police force is being used ruthlessly against Shri Tejpal, the law and order situation in Goa has deteriorated to an unprecedented extent. Sexual violence, drug trafficking and other crimes are on the increase but the Police hardly takes cognizance of these cases. Paedophillia-related violence against children is spreading in Goa. A report produced by the British Government indicates that Goa attracts a large number of paedophiles, mostly foreigners, and that they evade prosecution mainly because the Police are hand in glove with these criminals. Last January a seven-year-old girl was raped in the toilet of the school where she studied in Vasco. The Police have failed to nab the accused until this day. The present State Government should stop misusing the Police for partisan ends. The Police must conduct a fair investigation into the Tehelka case. It will unveil the truth. ------------------------------------------- Eduardo Faleiro is a former Union minister. lokseva...@gmail.com