Rafale documents cited by Prashant Bhushan were stolen from defence ministry : Govt tells SC

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday told the SC - that the documents related to Rafale aircraft deal have been stolen from the defence ministry and the petitioners seeking a review of its verdict dismissing all pleas against the purchase of the jets relied upon those documents.

Venugopal objected to the arguments made by lawyer Prashant Bhushan when he started reading out from a note in the Supreme Court. Bhushan argued that the Supreme Court would not have dismissed the plea seeking probe into the Rafale deal case had “critical facts” were not suppressed by the government.

KK Venugopal told the court that the documents relied upon by advocate Prashant Bhushan were stolen from defence ministry by “present or former employees”. Venugopal informed the apex court that an investigation has been ordered into the stolen papers.

The Narendra Modi government signed an agreement with France in 2016 for the purchase of Rafale fighter jets. Under the Rs 59,000-crore deal, French firm, Dassault Aviation will supply 36 Rafale fighter jets to India in flyaway condition.

The attorney general argued that the notes published in a newspaper and annexed in the review petition are “privileged” and cannot be taken note of. He said the court is dealing with defence purchases that involve security of the country.

“Recent incidents have shown how sensitive it is so far as defence purchases are concerned…Such a scrutiny will affect future purchases. Countries would be hesitant before entering. They would say we would have to pass hurdles of parliament and TV channels and finally the court,” said Venugopal against the review petitions in Rafale deal case.

He also told the court that prosecution would be launched against the two papers and the lawyer who has annexed it with the petition. Earlier, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi refused to accept any fresh affidavit by Prashant Bhushan asking him to confine his arguments to the documents already submitted in the court.

The Rafale deal ran into controversy after the opposition parties led by the Congress alleged irregularities in signing of the contract with the French company. Some people including Bhushan and former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie moved the Supreme Court last year seeking independent probe into the Rafale deal.

The Supreme Court dismissed the pleas observing that due process was followed in signing the Rafale deal. The court also said that it did not find any “commercial favouritism” in the contract.