The septuagenarian was caught on camera accepting Rs 1 lakh from a newsportal journalists posing as arms dealers from the Britain-based West End International, in a sting operation. Laxman was seen pulling strings in the Defence Ministry to sway a contract of thermal binoculars for the Army in favour of his benefactors. The CBI inquired into the resulting scandal.
The case is unique for being the first in the country wherein a person has been convicted after being exposed in a sting operation.
Holding Laxman guilty, Additional Sessions Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora said: “The CBI has been able to establish the case of accepting the bribe against Laxman. The accused stands convicted for the offence under Section 9, taking gratification for exercise of personal influence with public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.”
The newsportal Tehelka. com conducted the sting operation in March 2001 and released the CD containing the episode of Laxman receiving the bribe of Rs 1 lakh, leading to the former union minister to quit the post of the BJP national president.
The judge refused to hear Laxman’s bail plea. A visibly shocked Laxman, who was accompanied by his daughter, did not comment on the verdict. He was taken to the Tihar jail and will be produced before the court on Saturday morning when the quantum of the sentence will be pronounced.
The CBI charge sheet said journalists from Tehelka had eight meetings with Laxman between December 23, 2000, and January 7, 2001, posing as representatives of a “supplier of defence-related products.” The probe agency alleged that Laxman had accepted Rs 1 lakh as kickback.
“Tehelka portal scribes, impersonating as representatives of West End International, had held eight meetings with Laxman between December 23, 2000, and January 7, 2001,” the CBI charge sheet said.
Laxman’s former personal secretary T Satyamurthy, a co-accused, was pardoned by a trial court after he turned an approver in the case.
The case so far
* Dec 23, 2000, to Jan 7, 2001: An undercover journalist of Tehelka, posing as an arms dealer, holds eight meetings with Bangaru Laxman, all part of a sting operation
* Jan 5, 2001: Bangaru Laxman accepts a bribe of Rs1 lakh from the fake arms dealer
* March 13, 2001: Tehelka releases the CD of the sting operation, “Operation Westend”
* May 2, 2011: Charges framed against Bangaru Laxman
* April 27, 2012: Delhi court convicts Bangaru Laxman and sends him to jail
Poor Bangaru - framed [by Tehelka sting], nailed and jailed by CBI [Congress Bure of investigation] for a defense scam that did not take place, while Bofors guns scam in which millions went into G family account is closed after 26 years `for lack of evidence`. HR Bharadwaj who facilitated the escape of Quattrochi, Sonia G's family friend and beneficiary of the `commission`, is now Governor of Karnataka and SG is de facto PM of India with all the prestige and zero accountability. Mera Bharat Mahan.
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