The Supreme Court on Thursday, 14 November, dismissed pleas seeking review of its clean chit to the Modi government in the Rafale fighter jet deal with French firm Dassault Aviation.
Saying review petitions were without merit, the apex court said, “We don’t feel necessary to order an FIR or a roving inquiry into the Rafale deal case.”
Rafale Review Petitions
On 10 May, the apex court had reserved the decision on the pleas, including one filed by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan, seeking a re-examination of its findings that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph pronounced the verdicts on three review petitions filed by the trio, lawyer Vineet Dhandha and Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker Sanjay Singh.
On 14 December 2018, the apex court dismissed the petitions seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal.
Meanwhile, the apex court referred the review petitions challenging its order to allow women to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple to a larger bench of seven judges.
For all the live updates on the Sabarimala verdict, click here.
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