Home India Rafale deal highlights: Centre says documents related to deal 'stolen' from MoD, SC adjourns hearing till Mar 14

Rafale deal highlights: Centre says documents related to deal ‘stolen’ from MoD, SC adjourns hearing till Mar 14

Rafale deal highlights: There are two review petitions in the Rafale matter — one by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan, and the other by AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation

Rafale deal LIVE updates: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of review petitions filed in the Rafale case against the apex court’s December 14 verdict till March 14. There are two review petitions in the Rafale matter — one by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan, and the other by AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

Appearing for the centre, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the top court that documents pertaining to the fighter jet deal were stolen from the Defence Ministry and that an investigation over the alleged theft is ongoing. The AG said documents on Rafale deal relied on by petitioners are marked secret and classified, and in violation of Official Secrets Act

A bench comprising of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph had on December 14 dismissed petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the purchase of the jets from France, finding “no occasion to doubt the (decision-making) process” leading to the award of the contract, and said there was no material to show that the government had favoured anyone commercially.

Watch: Rafale deal controversy explained

A day after the bench passed the judgment, the Centre had approached the court seeking correction in the text of its order where it said that a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the pricing of the fighter jets “has been” examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Live Blog Rafale deal LIVE updates: The Supreme Court is hearing review petitions of its verdict dismissing pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France.

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan with former union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha (File/ Express Photo By Amit Mehra) The petitioners, Shourie, Sinha and Bhushan sought a review of the judgment, saying the court, in its December 14 order, had relied on “patently incorrect” claims made by the government in its note submitted in a sealed cover to the bench which heard the original petition. They claimed that more information had come to light subsequently and not considering them would result in grave miscarriage of justice and requested that it be heard in open court. Sanjay Singh in his petition alleged contradictions in the statements of the government. The petitioners have questioned Anil Ambani’s Reliance defence as the choice of the offset partner, despite having no experience in the airspace sector. On the price of the Rafale aircraft, Bhushan, who appeared on behalf of himself and Sinha and Shourie, said the government was hiding behind the secrecy clause of the agreement. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of Indian Air Force equipment. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

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