Rafale Deal : Supreme Court Gives Government 10 Days To File Affidavit, Giving Pricing Details And Explain The Advantages

File Picture

With the Rafale deal becoming a slug  fest  between the BJP and Congress,  the  Supreme Court who is hearing the  deal   has  now asked the Centre to file an affidavit within 10 days in a sealed envelope on the pricing details and advantages of the Rafale deal.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “Such details that may be considered strategic may not be furnished to the petitioners.”

The court asked for documents in the public domain to be made available to the petitioners.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices U U Lalit and K M Joseph also asked the Centre to share information which can be brought in the public domain with the petitioners.

The top court, which has now fixed the matter for hearing on November 14, said documents considered strategic and confidential may not be shared.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi told petitioners that the CBI probe in the Rafale deal will have to wait.

Attorney General KK Venugopal objected to disclosing details of pricing. Court in reply said  “submit the objections on affidavit, we will consider”.

The Congress party has reacted to the SC ruling on Rafale deal. “The Modi government’s boat of corruption will no longer sail because the Supreme Courts wants to know the truth of Rafale. The corruption-loaded BJP government can no longer remain investigation free, the accused can no longer run away from a JPC (joint parliamentary committee),” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

“Dear PM, Please explain to the ‘court of people’, why are you now shying away from JPC investigation? Rafale Scam is now fully ripe for an investigation-no more excuses!” Surjewala added in a tweet.

The Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, saying the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government when it was negotiating a deal for procurement of 126 Rafale fighter jets.