More than a year after a case into alleged bunglings brought out by Tehelka expose in procurment of Hand Held Thermal Imagers, the CBI Monday arrested former Samata Party Treasurer R K Jain under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Jain was picked up in the national capital and placed under arrest after brief questioning, CBI sources said. Immediately after the arrest, CBI carried out searches at offficial and residential premises of Jain in Delhi.

The CBI alleged Jain attempted to receive gratification from representatives of fictitious firm West End International, London [Images], to wield personal influence on the defence ministry in the purchase of supply of thermal imagers to the Indian Army.

The CBI was handed over investigations in October 2004 after the UPA government scrapped the Phukan Commission of Inquiry into the expose into corruption in defence deals.

The CBI has filed more than a dozen cases in connection with the alleged bunglings in the defence deals mentioned in the Tehelka news portal's sting operation catching political leaders, bureaucrats and army officials accepting money.

Cases have been registered against former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman and former Samata Party President Jaya Jaitley also.