Samata leader in Tehelka sting held

THE CBI on Monday arrested R.K. Jain, the former treasurer of Samata Party, who was caught in a sting - Operation West End -- conducted by a news portal in 2000-01.

THE CBI on Monday arrested R.K. Jain, the former treasurer of Samata Party, who was caught in a sting - Operation West End -- conducted by a news portal in 2000-01.

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Jain was arrested on charges of corruption, for demanding and receiving money from fictitious arms dealer Ms West End International in 2000-01 in return for promising to arrange a meeting with the then Defence Minister and getting the arms dealer a supply contract. Tehelka.com had floated the company as part of its sting operation to expose alleged corruption in defence deals.

CBI teams also raided three premises owned or rented by Jain in Delhi in the afternoon. The case registered against Jain is among the nine 'regular cases' registered in the expose.

During the sting, undercover journalists had met government servants, defence officers, businessmen and politicians to obtain supply orders for defence equipment including 'Hand Held Thermal Imagers'. The meetings were videotaped. The journalists - posing as representatives of Ms West End -- had met Jain, the then treasurer of the Samata Party, as many as nine times.