Five years after the infamous Tehelka expose, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed its first charge sheet in the case.
Former Bharatiya Janata Party president Bangaru Laxman, caught on camera accepting wads of money from fictitious arms dealers, was the first to be charge sheeted.
The charge sheet was filed before the designated court against Laxman under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and other sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI, which was handed over the case only on December 6, 2004, completed the investigations in 15 months.
It claimed that Laxman had also fudged the accounts of the BJP by making a back-dated entry of the money received.
CBI sources said a personal secretary of Laxman, Satyamurthy, had made a confessional statement under Section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate.
The CBI on Monday moved an application before the court for granting permission to make Satyamurthy an approver in the case and grant him pardon.
