The Hindu : It wasn't against any individual: Tejpal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 28, 2002

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It wasn't against any individual: Tejpal

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI JUNE 27. The Editor-in-Chief of Tehelka portal, Tarun Tejpal, today said that the sting operation was a "honest journalistic endeavour'' to expose corruption in defence deals and not targeted against any individual or political party.

Deposing before the Justice Venkataswami Commission, Mr. Tejpal said that during the last 10 to 15 years, particularly after the Bofors deal, he was concerned about corruption in arms procurement and wanted to expose it.

The "West End Operation" was part of investigative journalism to expose corruption in high places and to reveal how public office was being misused and abused.

On whether he would justify employing prostitutes in an investigative "journalistic endeavour", he said he did not approve of it but a reporter had the freedom to use his resourcefulness in any story for a larger interest.

On whether it was ethical, he said the reporters took a decision to use prostitutes as they did not want the story to get derailed.

Maintaining that "it was not a pre-meditated operation'', Mr. Tejpal said that for the first time the operation helped in exposing that the entire system was not above board. And, another aspect of the expose related to "political funding''.

On why he was opposed to referring the tapes for forensic examination, he said: "not a single frame in the tapes is tampered or doctored'' and "I do not believe in the establishment that it will conduct a honest forensic examination''. He, however, added that "there might be some glitches due to the nature of recording.''

He refuted the allegation that the operation was a "trap venture'' and was carried out for any commercial gain or intended to defame any individual. As to why he had not taken up the expose either with the Prime Minister or the President, Mr. Tejpal said his past experience with the establishment was "very bad'' and that he could never trust the Government. "I repose more faith in people of the country than on the establishment.''

He will continue his deposition tomorrow.

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