SC to hear PILs against Rafale deal on October10

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday posted for hearing on October 10 a writ petition filed by advocate Vineet Dhanda for a direction to the Centre to file details of the Rafale fighter jets agreement entered into between the Union of India and France in a sealed envelop.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph told advocate Vineed Dhanda that it will be heard on Wednes-day along with a PIL filed by advocate M.L. Sharma.

The petitioner said that there has been a lot of controversy with regard to the agreement which has been entered into bet-ween the India and Dass-ault Aviation, a French Company. As per this agreement, India is to pu-rchase 36 combat jets from France for an estimated cost of '58,000 crore.

There has been lot of opposition and criticism by the Oppostion parties, which have gone to the extent of calling the Prime Minsiter a “thief”. Unless the Centre is directed to submit the details of the agreement in a sealed cover, it would not be possible to meet the allegations, he added.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh, the Rajya Sabha MP of AAP, filed a PIL seeking SIT probe into the deal regarding the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets and the abrupt cancellation of Request for Proposal for the purchase of 126 Rafale fighter jets, announced, negotiated between the Government of India and the French government.

He said it was mutually agreed that 18 Rafale jets were to be delivered by the French company in flyaway condition and remaining 108 fighter jets were to be manufactured in India at the plants of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as licensee of Dassault, and also the French company Dassault was to provide the technology to HAL for the manufacture of 108 Rafale jets.

This agreement has been cancelled and a new agreement with a private company has been entered upon, he said and sought a SIT probe into the entire deal.