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Former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman convicted in fake arms deal sting case | Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president
Bangaru Laxman was convicted on Friday under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with a 2001 Tehelka sting related to a fake arms deal. A special
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court convicted Bangaru Laxman and
announced that sentencing would take place on Saturday. Special CBI Court Judge
Kanwaljeet Arora placed Laxman in judicial custody soon after issuing orders to
convict him. Laxman broke down in court after the verdict was announced. News
portal Tehelka.com's founder-editor Aniruddha Bahal expressed happiness at the
verdict pointing out that he and his team were harassed by the then central government
for carrying out the sting operation in which Laxman was caught on camera accepting
money from fake arms dealers. "It's a relief that our story has been proved right.
There was a judicial commission put on us. They investigated the people who brought
out this story. We were harassed," said Bahal. The video CDs, which were released
by Tehelka on March 13, 2001, and it sparked off a political storm that led to
Laxman quitting as BJP president. Journalists involved in the sting operation
posed as representatives of a fictitious UK-based company West End International
and sought Laxman's recommendation to the defence ministry to facilitate the supply
of hand-held thermal imagers for the Indian Army. As per the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) chargesheet, Tehelka journalists held eight meetings with
Laxman between December 23, 2000, and January 7, 2001, projecting themselves as
supplier of defence-related products. The CBI had alleged that Laxman accepted
Rs 1 lakh from the representatives of the purported firm on January 1, 2001, at
his office for pursuing their proposal to supply certain products to the army.
Laxman was booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
His former personal secretary T Satyamurthy, who was a co-accused, was granted
pardon by a trial court after he turned approver in the case.
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