Defence graft case: Court awards 4-yr jail to ex-Samata Party chief Jaya Jaitley

A Delhi court has awarded 4-year imprisonment to ex-Samata Party President Jaya Jaitley and two others in 2000-01 defence corruption case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on all 3 convicts.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday awarded 4-year jail term to former-Samata Party president Jaya Jaitley and two others for corruption in a 2000-01 case related to a purported defence deal, a lawyer said.

Special CBI judge Virender Bhat also awarded 4-year jail term to Jaitley's former party colleague Gopal Pacherwal and Major General (retd) SP Murgai in the case, Murgai's advocate Vikram Panwar said.

The court, in a proceeding held on camera, also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on all three convicts and directed them to surrender before it till 5 pm on Thursday.

The three were held guilty of corruption and criminal conspiracy in the purported purchase of hand-held thermal imagers.

The case stemmed from a sting, 'Operation Westend' aired by news portal Tehelka in January 2001.

PTI report

Read:|CBI seeks 7-yr jail for Jaya Jaitley, others for corruption