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-26-
BANGARU LAXMAN: …He said how things we don't normally
involve….I said okay.
TEHELKA: No, that. No, we have a lot of other things.
Power projects and lot of things we have. You know, once we
are starting from the binoculars. You know, several times
he asked me, "I want to introduce.... I will go to introduce
Mr. Bangaru…. Mr. Bangaru Laxman." I said this, "I am an Indian.
I don't know Hindi very well." So I said, "Yes, I am an Indian.
I can go directly meet…meet him. I have the company credibility
there. Company's just like…bigger than Tata. You know, I can
go directly to meet Mr. Bangaru Laxman. He can understand
my position. Isn't it?"
BANGARU LAXMAN: Accha.
TEHELKA: Isn't it? There is…I don't need any commitment
from you also.
BANGARU LAXMAN: All right. Meeting was set. I'm your…
[Frame shifts back and forth.]
TEHELKA: All right. …Satya...
BANGARU LAXMAN: Directly contact me.
TEHELKA: Hmm?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Talk directly.
TEHELKA: Hmm.
BANGARU LAXMAN: First he [Sathyamurthi] will
fix up appointment.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
TEHELKA: Sir, can…can I give you one lakh rupees for
it? For a token. My…
[Sound of door opening and closing. Somebody enters and
says something to Bangaru
Laxman offscreen and leaves.]
TEHELKA: Sir, my boss is here. In…in…a…in Oberoi executive...executive
suite.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Accha.
TEHELKA: So he also wants to meet you.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Accha.
TEHELKA: So, can you arrange the appointment tomorrow?
Can you arrange?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Tomorrow?
TEHELKA: Hmm. So….
[Camera shifts towards Bangaru
Laxman]
TEHELKA: So he will come and meet you. So will you…uh…what
I told to Mr. Satya that matter.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Hmm.
[Bangaru is fully in the frame now]
TEHELKA: For the party fund.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Hmm.
TEHELKA: I have five lakh rupees.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Hmm.
TEHELKA: And today I will give you one lakh rupees.
For just the beginning. A New Year gift.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Hmm, hmm.
TEHELKA: Okay? But…but…but, tell me, sir, very frankly,
Mr. R.K. Gupta told me he arranged the meeting. Outside the….
BANGARU LAXMAN: I do not know what exactly transpired
between you and him. He just…he was mentioning….
TEHELKA: Okay.
BANGARU LAXMAN (quoting R.K. Gupta):
"Sir, are you interested in that work? Would you entertain?"
I said he's already met me and…
[Camera shifts towards Tehelka reporter]
[Tehelka reporter takes out wads of currency notes and
hands them over to Bangaru
Laxman]
TEHELKA: Sir, this is a small gift…small gift.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Oh, no, no…
TEHELKA: It's a small gift for the New Year party.
Right?
[Frame again shifts towardsBangaru
Laxman]
[Bangaru
Laxman opens the drawer, takes money
from Tehelka reporter and puts it away]
TEHELKA: New Year party fund, hain? One lakh
rupee, hain?
[Pause]
TEHELKA: So what time can I call my boss here?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Tomorrow…hmm…
[Tehelka reporter's mobile phone rings]
BANGARU LAXMAN: …Five o'clock.
TEHELKA: Yeah, in five o'clock. In here?
TEHELKA: And then…rupee.
BANGARU LAXMAN: When do you…?
TEHELKA: Tomorrow. Rupee or dollar?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Dollars. You can give dollars.
TEHELKA: Okay. We can give you dollars. Sir, we need
your blessing.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Okay.
TEHELKA: Okay. I will not take Mr. R.K. Gupta to….
I can come directly to you. Anytime I need I will make appointment
with Mr Satyamurthy. Okay?
[Bangaru
Laxman rises. They shake hands.]
|
The third meeting with
Bangaru
Laxman took place with Alvin D'Souza,
president of West End. Laxman was expecting a sum of around
$25,000 from West End. We didn't want to tell them that
there was no sum to be delivered till after the meeting
when everything would already be on tape. Here Laxman
talks about how the BJP and Vajpayee use Principal Secretary
Brajesh Mishra as the guy who pushes their deals. Mishra,
incidentally, is the National Security Adviser. Both Laxman
and West End argue that R.K. Gupta had no hand in the
meeting. |
TEHELKA: I'm Alvin D'Souza.
TEHELKA: And he is…Mr. Bangaru Laxman, president, party
in power. They are the ruling party. The biggest political
party.
BANGARU LAXMAN: You are based in…?
TEHELKA: Based in London. We have interests in Telecom,
Power, Aviation and Defence, obviously. We are trying to get
a foothold in the Indian defence market through hand-held
thermal cameras. Night vision. And if there's a prospect of
something in…we'll be prepared to do it at a very no-profit
basis if it gives us an entry into the Indian market. In that
sense. We just wanted your blessings on the project. And Mathew's
telling me there's a slight problem in that.
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah, sir. What is the problem? I told
Mr. Krishna also this matter. There is basically one Israeli
company there. So they are basically El-Op, El-Op. So one
Mr. Brajesh…Mr. Brajesh Mishra, that principal secretary to
PM, he is supporting that company very, very openly. So you
know at that time, you know, he won't allow that third company
in the picture.
TEHELKA: So that is not that formidable a problem.
TEHELKA: Exactly, exactly…I said…yeah, yeah.
TEHELKA (interrupts): You can solve it.
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I, I convinced my boss
that Mr. Bangaru Laxman can give that, the political cover
in this matter.
[Pause]
TEHELKA: Did you show him our brochures?
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah. I did.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Yes, I've seen.
[Pause]
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