Rafale Deal Case: Here Is a Chronology of Events And What Has Happened So Far

In today's judgement, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in the Supreme Court said there is a necessity for fighter aircraft and the country cannot remain without the jets.

The CJI, who read out the judgement for the three-judge bench, said no reasons were found to interfere in the procurement process for the fighter jets./ A file photo of a Rafale fighter jet. (AFP)

Rafale Deal Case: Following is the chronology of events in the Rafale deal case in which the Supreme Court on Friday said that it cannot compel the government to procure 126 or 36 fighter jets which depend upon its decision. SC also said that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar defence deal. The court was hearing pleas seeking a court-monitored probe in the procurement of 36 fighter jets from France.

Here Is Chronology of Events In Rafale Deal Case:

• Dec 30, 2002: Defence Procurement Procedures (DPP) adopted to streamline procurement procedures.
• Aug 28, 2007: Ministry of Defence issues Request for Proposal for procurement of 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) fighters.
• Sep 4, 2008: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group incorporates Reliance Aerospace Technologies Ltd (RATL).
• May 2011: Air Force shortlists Rafale and Eurofighter jets.
• Jan 30, 2012: Dassault Aviation's Rafale aircraft comes up with the lowest bid.
• Mar 13, 2014: Work Share agreement signed between HAL & Dassault Aviation under which they were responsible for 70 per cent and 30 per cent of the work, respectively, for 108 aircraft.
• Aug 8, 2014 : Then defence minister Arun Jaitley tells Parliament 18 direct 'fly-away' aircraft expected to be delivered in 3-4 years from signing of the contract. 108 aircraft to be delivered in following seven years.
• Apr 8: Then foreign secretary says detailed discussions underway between Dassault, MoD and HAL.
• Apr 10: New deal for acquisition of 36 direct 'fly-away' aircraft from France announced.
• Jan 26, 2016: India and France sign MoU for 36 Rafale aircraft.
• Sep 23: Inter-governmental agreement signed.
• Nov 18: Government states in Parliament the cost of each Rafale aircraft to be approximately Rs 670 crore and that all aircraft will be delivered by April 2022.
• Dec 31: Dassault Aviation's Annual Report reveals the actual price paid for the 36 aircrafts at about Rs. 60,000 crore, more than double the government's stated price in Parliament.
• Mar 13: PIL in SC seeks independent probe into Centre's decision to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and disclosure of the cost involved in the deal before Parliament.
• Sep 5, 2018: SC agrees to hear next week PIL seeking stay on Rafale fighter jet deal.
• Sep 18: SC adjourns hearing on PIL seeking stay on Rafale fighter jet deal to October 10.
• Oct 8: SC agrees to hear on October 10 fresh PIL seeking direction to Centre to file in "sealed cover" the details of the agreement for buying 36 Rafale fighter Jets.
• Oct 10: SC asks Centre to provide details of decision making process in the Rafale fighter jet deal in a sealed cover.
• Oct 24: Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan moves SC seeking registration of FIR into Rafale fighter jet deal.
• Oct 31: SC asks Centre to place before it in a sealed cover within 10 days the pricing details of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
• Nov 12: Centre places price details of 36 Rafale fighter jets in a sealed cover before SC. It also gives details of steps that led to finalisation of the Rafale deal.
• Nov 14: SC reserves order on pleas seeking court-monitored probe in Rafale deal.
• Dec 14: SC dismisses all the petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France