Cara Tejpal, 36-year-old daughter of former Tehelka editor-in-chief and rape convict Tarun Tejpal, said portraying him as a rapist was a "way to silence him" as he was "more than a thorn in the side of...BJP government". She linked it to Tehelka's investigative journalism. She claimed she had examined evidence for 13 years and was convinced her father was "innocent".