Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday dismissed former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Bangaru Laxman’s plea seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to re-arrest an approver in a graft case against him.

Justice Mukta Gupta dismissed the plea to re-arrest T. Satyamurthy, a co-accused who was granted pardon by the trial court after he turned an approver in the case.

The former BJP president sought the re-arrest of Satyamurthy, saying that legal provisions required an approver to remain in jail till the conclusion of the trial.

Laxman sought the quashing of the first information report (FIR) lodged by the CBI, after he was caught on camera taking money from an undercover journalists, posing as arms dealers, for recommending to the defence ministry the purchase of their wares for the army.

The video CDs of the sting operation were released May 13, 2001 by the journalists.

Laxman approached the high court challenging the CBI special court’s order dismissing his plea for the arrest of Satyamurthy.

Counsel for Laxman submitted that as per the law, Satyamurthy should be taken into custody as the trial against him had commenced in the corruption case and 15 witnesses had been examined. The approver should not be influenced by either of the parties, he said.

Satyamurthy was granted anticipatory bail by the special court March 21, 2005, when the CBI filed an application to make him an approver in the case.

The lower court in May framed charges against Laxman under the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting illegal gratification and said “prima facie it appears that the accused accepted money”.

The CBI charge sheet said the Tehelka portal scribes, impersonating as representatives of West End International, had held eight meetings with Laxman between Dec 23, 2000 and Jan 7, 2001, projecting themselves as suppliers of defence-related products.

The CBI alleged Laxman accepted Rs.1 lakh from the representatives of the purported firm Jan 1, 2001 at his office for pursuing their proposal to supply certain products to the army.