NEW DELHI: Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman on Thursday withdrew his petition from the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of a case lodged after he was allegedly caught on camera receiving a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from undercover scribes to favour them in defence deals.“Most of the prosecution witnesses have already been examined in the trial and only the investigating officer is to be examined.I seek leave to withdraw one of the petitions with the liberty to raise the issues before the trial court during the final arguments,” the counsel for the former BJP president told Justice Mukta Gupta.Justice Gupta allowed Bangaru’s plea after being told that the trial was nearing conclusion and the submissions raised in the petition could also be made before the lower court as well. “The petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the judge said. Laxman had sought quashing of the FIR lodged by CBI after he was caught on camera taking money from undercover journalists posing as arms dealers for recommending to the Defence Ministry purchase of their wares for the Army.Video CDs of the sting operation were released on May 13 in 2001 by the portal. Meanwhile, Justice Gupta sought a response within two weeks from T Satyamurthy, a co-accused who was granted a pardon by the lower court after he turned an approver in the case, on another petition of Laxman.The former BJP president seeks re-arrest of Satyamurthy, saying the Criminal Procedure Code provides that an approver will remain in jail till the conclusion of the trial. The court has posted the matter for further hearing on November 16.
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