New Delhi: A Delhi court will pronounce its verdict on the 11-year-old Tehelka sting operation on Friday. The court will decide whether former BJP President Bangaru Laxman is guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from two Tehelka reporters who were posing as middlemen, pitching a defence deal.
He was forced to step down as BJP President following the sensational expose. Bangaru's former personal Secretary T Satyamurthy, who was a co-accused in the case, was pardoned by court as he turned approver.
Additional Sessions Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora had on April 3 reserved the judgement in the corruption case after hearing arguments from the counsel for the CBI and the accused.
Bangaru was caught on camera accepting money in a 2001 sting operation conducted by newsportal Tehelka.com. The video CDs, which were released by the portal on March 13, 2001, had sparked a political storm following which Bangaru resigned as BJP chief.
The CBI had alleged that Bangaru had accepted Rs one 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.
Bangaru is facing trial under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly accepting money from fake arms dealers to recommend to the Defence Ministry to award them a contract to supply their wares for the Army.
Bangaru's former personal secretary T Satyamurthy, who was a co-accused, was granted pardon by a trial court after he turned an approver in the case.
With additional information from PTI
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