Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a petition by former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, who challenged the lower court order to put him on trial in a corruption case.

Justice Rajiv Shakhdher issued notice to the CBI for its response by July 13.

Laxman challenged the May 30 trial court judgment, which ordered to put him on trial for accepting money from fake arms dealers allegedly to recommend to the defence ministry to award them a contract on army supply.

Special Judge Vinod Kumar had ordered Laxman’s trial, saying “prima facie it appears that the accused accepted money”.

Laxman was caught on camera accepting money in a 2001 sting operation conducted by newsportal Tehelka.com with its scribes posing as representatives of a fictitious UK-based company West End International, seeking his recommendation to the ministry for supply of hand-held thermal imagers to the Indian Army.

The video CDs were released by the portal March 13, 2001.

The court ordered Laxman to face the trial, observing that “the intention and act of the accused were real”.

“Prima facie, it appears that the accused accepted money from the functionaries of the West End International, London, for exercising his personal influence upon the concerned public servant to get favour for the aforesaid firm,” the trial court said.

The court rejected submissions by Laxman’s counsel that no offence was disclosed because the entire operation was based on a fictitious company.