In a significant development following their agreement to publish an unconditional apology in a national English newspaper, Tarun Tejpal and Aniruddha Bahal have formally apologised to retired Indian Army official Major General MS Ahluwalia. The apology stems from a Tehelka magazine story that falsely accused Ahluwalia of corruption, published on March 13, 2001.
The ‘Public Notice’ was published in the Classified section of Hindustan Times‘ Delhi edition on January 22, appearing on Page 11. It referenced the 2001 story that alleged Major General Ahluwalia received a bribe of Rs 50,000 from reporter Mathew Samuel.
The story, titled “Operation Westend,” claimed that Ahluwalia had demanded Blue Label whisky and Rs 10 lakh during an undercover journalistic investigation into corruption in the defence procurement process.
What a gigantic pair of turds these ठरकी बुड्ढा duo of Tarun Tejpal and Aniruddha Behl are! They destroyed the life, career and reputation of an honest army officer with their fake sting, and published this court mandated apology on 22nd Jan 2024, when they knew that no one would… pic.twitter.com/8J1BKQCfC1
— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) January 24, 2024
In an “undercover journalistic investigation on corruption in the defence procurement process, Operation Westend… it was indicated that Major-General Ahluwalia had demanded Blue Label whisky and Rs 10 lakh,” the apology referred to the incident.
“We clarify that in the meeting in November 2000 at Major-General Ahluwalia’s house, neither did Major-General Ahluwalia ask nor accept a bribe or blue label whisky, and we unconditionally apologise for the error in the transcript /tape,” the apology read.
This development comes six months after the Delhi High Court directed Tarun Tejpal to pay Rs 2 crore in damages to Major General Ahluwalia in a defamation case. Tejpal, the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine, has committed to publishing an unconditional apology in a national English newspaper, acknowledging that Ahluwalia never accepted any bribery.
Live Law reported on January 12 that Tejpal and Tehelka’s co-founder, Aniruddha Bahal, provided this undertaking before a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, challenging the July 2023 order of the single judge. The defamation case was filed by Ahluwalia in 2002 in response to Tehelka’s story, which accused him of taking bribes in defence deals during the Operation West End sting operation.
During the appeal process, Ahluwalia reiterated his denial of the allegations, emphasising that at the time of the sting operation, he was not involved in any role related to the selection or purchase of imported weapons.
The court, while rejecting a review plea, observed that Ahluwalia’s reputation had suffered, leading to a lowering of esteem in the eyes of the public and serious allegations of corruption staining his character.
Tejpal and Bahal informed the court that they would deposit Rs 10 lakhs each, and the court has scheduled the appeal for hearing and disposal in April to determine the quantum of damages to be awarded.
In March 2001, Tehelka, under Tarun Tejpal’s leadership, initiated a mission to expose corruption in political and defence establishments. The sting operation implicated Major General MS Ahluwalia, accusing him of accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000, a charge he vehemently denied. The subsequent court-martial resulted in a ‘Severe Displeasure (Recordable)’ from the army chief, following initial recommendations for dismissal from service.
Notably, Tehelka initially claimed that Ahluwalia demanded Rs 1 lakh but later revised it to Rs 50,000. During the army’s court of inquiry, Tehelka journalist Mathew Samuel admitted that Ahluwalia never demanded any money or expensive whiskey. The acknowledgement and apology by Tejpal and Bahal signify a crucial turning point in this protracted legal battle.
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