A day after Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal was convicted of raping his colleague by the Bombay Excessive Court docket, the gang chief of the ‘Award-wapsi’ brigade Anand Patwardhan got here to the rescue of the rapist on Friday (seventh August).
The case stems from the testimony of a former junior colleague, who accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a lodge elevator in the course of the ThinkFest occasion in Goa in November 2013. The allegations had triggered nationwide outrage and have become considered one of India’s most high-profile office sexual assault instances.
Whereas responding to a Fb publish written by ‘journalist’ Ok A Shaji, which was shared by one Geeta Seshu, Anand Patwardhan tried to forged aspersions on the rape sufferer in addition to the Bombay Excessive Court docket.
In a Fb remark, he declared, “It’s difficult. Tehelka was a significant thorn within the flesh of Modi and BJP and naturally they did the whole lot to destroy it within the lead as much as the 2014 elections.”
The 76-year-old conspiracy theorist claimed, “Alternatively, Tejpal preying on younger colleagues is reprehensible. Was it rape? After seeing CCTV footage of him and the sufferer getting into the carry in addition to exiting from it on the higher ground, speaking usually, I don’t suppose any violent incident occurred within the carry itself (the place there was no CCTV).”
After dismissing the truth that the rape had occurred, he insinuated that the Bombay Excessive Court docket was engaged on the instructions of the Modi authorities. “Now the excessive court docket has discovered him responsible. That’s no shock both, for more and more the BJP will get what it needs from our courts,” he brazened out.
Anand Patwardhan now joins the likes of Newslaundry, which has been unapologetic and unabashed about its defence of Tarun Tejpal.
Curiously, he got here to the limelight in October 2015 after returning his Nationwide Award alongside different members of the gang, alleging rising intolerance and threats to range and freedom of speech. He had beforehand contextualised violence towards Hindus in Malda in 2016.
“Allow us to get some issues straight. I oppose the mob violence in Malda which was triggered by a Hindu Mahasabha chief making derogatory feedback about Prophet Mohammed,” Anand Patwardhan had remarked.
