New Delhi: Without issuing any notice, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the central government to file a reply with respect to the decision-making process of the Rafale deal in a sealed cover.
The top court took the decision after hearing three petitions seeking an investigation into how fighter-jet deal was finalised.
Vehemently opposing the petitions, Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, the top law officer representing the Union of India, submitted to the apex court that such kinds of petitions should be dismissed as they are politically motivated cases.
“We are not inclined to issue any notice at present. We are only seeking a report from the Union Of India with respect to the decision making process in the deal (Rafale) in a sealed cover,” the bench said.
Lawyer and one of the petitioners in the case, Manohar Lal Sharma, submitted to the top court bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph, that the Rafale deal is a direct violation of the law and is an act of corruption.
The deal is against the Vienna convention and the accused persons, whosoever they are, should be prosecuted for their offences, Sharma submitted to the top court.
Another petitioner, Vineet Dhanda, told the apex court that there was no transparency in the deal and it was done in a very arbitrary manner.
Tehseen Poonawala, another petitioner, withdrew his petition from the apex court.
The court has fixed the matter for further hearing for the last week of October.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]