SC Refuses To Entertain PIL Seeking Fresh Investigation Into Rafale Deal

A bench comprised of Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat reviewed lawyer M L Sharma's request that a directive be issued to collect new evidence relevant to the agreement.

Supreme Court.

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a petition seeking a further investigation into the contract between India and France to purchase 36 Rafale fighter planes, news agency PTI reported.

A bench comprised of Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat reviewed lawyer M L Sharma's request that a directive be issued to collect new evidence relevant to the agreement. He also pointed to media claims saying that Dassault Aviation paid a middleman one billion euros to secure the sale in its favour.

“Having gone through the facts and circumstances of the case on record, in our considered view, no case is made out to exercise jurisdiction of this court Article 32 of the Constitution," the bench stated, Indian Express reported. 

Lawyer M. L. Sharma informed the bench that he was limiting his argument to the demand to have the French investigator's records produced.

At first, the bench said that it was rejecting the plea. Sharma then pleaded with the supreme court to permit him to withdraw it. His plea was granted by the Supreme Court.

The attorney also stated that he had also complained to the CBI. The bench said that no one was preventing him from doing so and that it was a distinct issue that the court did not wish to address.

On December 14, 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed a number of PILs contesting the agreement between India and France to buy 36 Rafale planes, stating that there was no reason to "seriously dispute the decision-making process" that would have called for the contract to be annulled, PTI reported.

(With Inputs From PTI)