PMO monitoring Rafale deal progress cannot be seen as parallel negotiations: Centre to SC

“The then Hon’ble Raksha Mantri had recorded on file that …’it appears that PMO and French President’s office are monitoring the progress of the issues which was an outcome of the summit meeting’,” the affidavit read.

The Centre’s remarks came after a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi sought a response today to petitions seeking review of its December 14, 2018 order upholding the Rafale aircraft deal.

Last December 14, the bench had dismissed four petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the Rafale purchase, saying it found “no occasion to really doubt the process” of decision making, pricing and selection of offset partners. It said there was no material to show that the government had favoured anyone commercially.

Subsequently, review petitions were filed. The government also raised preliminary objections to the admissibility of certain documents which had been published by The Hindu and later carried by ANI. On April 10, the top court rejected the government’s objections. The bench said the review petitions should be adjudicated on their own merit in the light of three documents submitted by the petitioners.