Court jails Bangaru, says corruption worse than prostitution

Eleven years after having been caught in a sting operation, former BJP President Bangaru Laxman was today awarded four years rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court for taking Rs 1 lakh as bribe in a fictitious defence deal case.

Holding that "corruption is worse than prostitution" as it endangers the whole society, Special CBI Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora turned down 72-year-old Laxman's plea for leniency saying, "We have to shun this attitude of 'sab chalta hai,' where nothing moves without illegal gratification."

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Laxman who was taken to Tihar Jail, shortly after he was sentenced. His counsel said they would move the high court to challenge his conviction and sentencing.

This is the first instance of a national party president getting convicted and sentenced to a jail term in a corruption case for accepting bribe in his office chamber in the party headquarters in 2001.

By accepting the bribe, Laxman had kept his personal interest above the national interest "ignoring the security of soldiers" who put their lives in danger while fighting for the nation, the court said.

"The convict (Bangaru) had kept his individual interest over and above the national interest and has even agreed to compromise with the security and safety of the nation. He had agreed to help a company i.e. M/s Westend International, coming to him for getting a supply order of defence related equipments to Indian Army.

"He agreed to compromise with the lives of lakhs of soldiers who without fearing for their lives, fight for the nation," said the court, which convicted him under section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, said.

"Corruption, to my mind is worse than prostitution as the latter might endanger the morals of an individual, whereas, the former invariably endangers the entire society. It is virulent for the nation and makes people full of ire.

... contd.

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