Rafale case: SC reserves verdict on pleas challenging its Dec 14 judgment

Supreme Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the petitions challenging its 14th December judgment upholding the deal for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. 

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was hearing a batch of petitions seeking review of its judgment last year which had dismissed the pleas challenging India's agreement with France to purchase Rafale fighter jets. 

Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan sought from the Apex Court setting aside its earlier verdict that dismissed their petition for criminal investigation into the Rafale fighter jet deal case. 

Mr Bhushan, during the two-hour hearing, referred to various aspects including alleged suppression of material facts from the court and said that an FIR should have been lodged and a



criminal investigation launched into the case. 

He also referred to the documents relating to alleged parallel negotiations undertaken by the PMO and said that three members of the Indian Negotiation Team had objected to it. 

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, objected to the review petition and said the basic grounds for seeking review of the verdict are the same as they were in the main petition. 

He said, the petitioners are seeking review of the judgment on the basis of secret stolen documents. 

Mr Venugopal also referred to the secrecy clause of the inter-governmental agreement between India and France and said that this matter pertains to defence deals and not to the award of contract for construction of flyover or dams. He sought dismissal of the review petitions.