Tehelka sting case CBI sought a seven-year jail term for Jaya Jaitly

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday sought a seven year jail term for former Samata Party President Jaya Jaitly and two others, convicted in a corruption case relating to a defence deal. Counsel appearing for the convict, however, sought leniency on the ground of old age. Special CBI judge Virender Bhat reserved the order on sentencing for Thursday. The genesis of this case lies in sting operation 'Operation Westend', conducted by news website Tehelka in 2000-2001, to expose corruption in defence procurements deals in India. Tehelka had made the operation public during mid-March 2001. On July 20, twenty years after the sting operation, the court had convicted Jaitly, Major General S.P. Murgai (retd.) and Gopal K. Pacherwal in the case. On the basis of the sting, an FIR was registered against four persons - Jaitly, Murgai, Pacherwal and Surender Kumar Surekha but the latter turned approver for the CBI. (IANS)

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