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The Centre has told the Supreme Court that there was no question of either registration of an FIR or investigation by CBI in the Rafale fighter jets deal as the apex court had already concluded that there was no reason for intervention by it on the “sensitive issue”.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on May 10 reserved its verdict on the pleas seeking review of the December 14 judgement in the Rafale case.
The Centre, which sought dismissal of petitions seeking review of the December 14 last year verdict which gave a clean chit to the government on the procurement of 36 fighter jets from French firm Dassault, said CAG report “belied” the main arguments of petitioners regarding alleged “exorbitant price” of the jets.
In its 39-page written submissions filed in the top court, the Centre has said that petitioners and former union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist advocate Prashant Bhushan have not made out any ground which would justify a review of the “well reasoned” December 14 judgement last year.
“Especially, once this court had come to the conclusion that on all the three aspects i.e., the decision-making process, pricing, and Indian offset partner, there is no reason for intervention by this court on the sensitive issue of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircrafts by the Indian Government, there is no question of either registration of FIR much less any investigation by the CBI,” the government said
