Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Former union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, along with advocate Prashant Bhushan moved to the Supreme Court for review of Rafale judgment. Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan is seeking a review of December 14 judgment on Rafale Deal.

The Apex Court on December 14 rejected the Petition filed seeking a court-monitored CBI-led investigation into the Rafale deal involving Rs. 59,000 crores for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ruled, “We are satisfied that there is no reason to doubt the process is followed and the need of aircraft is not in doubt.”

PILs were filed by noted lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan, Former Union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, and lawyers ML Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. The court replied, “We can’t sit in judgment over the purchase of 36 aircraft against 126 fighter jets.”

However, Petitioners – Shourie, Sinha, and Bhusan had expressed their disappointments over the SC verdict of December 14.

Prashant Bhushan along with two other petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha are asking for recalling of Rafale judgment. They are also asking to
grant an oral hearing in the open court for their review plea.

The petition filed by the trio stated that the recent judgment contains several factual errors and also the judgement relies upon patently incorrect claims made by the Government in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover to the court, which is a violation of a principle of
natural justice.

Amid Rafale Controversy, Modi government makes 25 percent payment to France government.

This petition also mentioned that several new facts have come to the light after the judgement was reserved in the matter, which needs to go to the root of the matter.

In a four-page statement released by Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Prashant Bhushan said, “No Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale has been submitted or examined.”

Bhushan right after the SC Verdict on December 14 tweeted, “The purported fact stated in para 25 of the SC Jt on Rafale about a CAG report is not only factually incorrect on at least 3 counts, it is not known when & how the Govt communicated this to the SC. It was not part of the record shared with us. Several other false facts in its Jt”

The joint statement released by the three said that “The judgment of the Supreme Court dismissing our petition seeking an independent court-monitored investigation into the Rafale deal is as shocking as it is disappointing. We had gone to court after making a detailed complaint to the CBI pointing out the following:
The Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] signed an agreement for 36 Rafale jets on 10th April 2015 without any such requirement of 36 jets given by the Airforce headquarters and without the approval of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which are the mandated first steps for any defence procurement”

PAC Chairman Mallikarjun Kharge also hit back at the Government for lying in the Supreme Court, He said as quoted by ANI on December 15, “Govt lied in SC that the CAG report was presented in the house and in PAC and PAC has probed it. Govt said in SC it is in public domain. Where is it? Have you seen it? I am going to take this up with other members of PAC. We will summon AG and CAG. #Rafale”

The controversy over the Rafale Deal is on the Boil in last few months. The Congress and other opposition parties have been alleging irregularities in the high-profile deal and asking a JPC on the issue.

ALSO READ: Congress accepts Jaitley’s challenge of holding a debate on Rafale Deal

By talharashid

Part-time Traveler| Full-time Political Enthusiast | Foodie | Strong Believer of Freedom of Speech and Expressions!

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