Rafale hearing live updates: Supreme Court reserves verdict on pleas demanding probe into deal

The Modi govt has recently submitted the pricing details to the top court in a sealed cover.

NEW DELHI: Amid an ongoing war between the ruling BJP and the main Opposition party Congress over the controversial Rafale deal, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its order on pleas seeking court-monitored probe in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. 

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph concluded the arguments advanced by various parties which have also sought registration of FIR in connection with the alleged irregularities in the deal.

The apex court began hearing a batch of pleas on the pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets and procedure followed by the Narendra Modi government in finalising the deal with France.

The petitioners had made their submissions in the top court during the hearing.

The Narendra Modi government had on Monday handed over a 14-page document titled "Details of the steps in the decision-making process leading to the award of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft order" to the petitioners in the case.

The government had also filed in the court the pricing details of the 36 Rafale jets in a sealed cover.

The petitioners are likely to respond to the contents of the documents in which it has been stated by the government that the deal for 36 Rafale jets was negotiated on "better terms" and the Defence Procurement Procedure laid out in 2013 were "completely followed".

In its submission to the top court, the Centre also stated that the approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was secured before the deal was inked with France.

The details of the decision-making process and pricing were placed in the court in compliance with its October 31 order.

India signed a defence agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. 

The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

Here are the live updates on the Rafale row:-

14 November 2018

15:22 PM

Supreme Court reserves verdict on a bunch of petitions demanding a probe into the deal.

15:22 PM

 Centre tells the Supreme Court that there is no sovereign guarantee from the French government on the delivery of 36 Rafale jets but there is a letter of comfort from the French Prime Minister.

15:20 PM

Supreme Court asks Additional Secretary Defence as to why the offset guidelines were changed in 2015. What about country's interest? What if the offset partner doesn't do any production?

14:35 PM

India needs fourth generation fighters that is why the Rafale jet was selected: AVM Chalapathi tells SC 

14:35 PM

AVM Chalapathi tells the top court that Sukhoi-30 was the latest induction into the IAF.

14:32 PM

CJI Ranjan Gogoi asks Air Vice Marshal Chalapathi about latest inductions into the Indian Air Force.

14:22 PM

Air Vice Marshal J Chalapathi is present inside the court number 1 and answering the questions put forth by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, reports ANI.

14:20 PM

Three other IAF officers are also present inside the court to answer questions on Rafale, say reports. 

14:18 PM

Air Vice Marshal J Chalapathi appears before the top court to respond to queries on Rafale deal after hearing resumes post lunch.

13:42 PM

The top court bench will resume hearing in the Rafale case post lunch at 2 PM.

13:02 PM

Any debate on pricing of the Rafale deal comes only if this court decides those aspects needs to come in public domain: CJI

13:01 PM

Pricing details have been given in a sealed cover but there are factors like inter-governmental agreement which barred its disclosure: KK Venugopal

12:54 PM

Centre opposes SC reviewing Rafale deal, says 'it is for experts to do it'

12:49 PM

The price of Rafale with break up of weapons and avionics has been shared with the court, but the court cannot sit in judicial review on it: Venugopal tells SC on behalf of Centre.

12:48 PM

Secrecy is not on the price of aircraft but on weaponry and avionics: KK Venugopal tells SC

12:43 PM

''After all, we are dealing with the air force, we would have liked to ask from the officer of the Air Force on the issue,'' says CJI.

12:42 PM

CJI Ranjan Gogoi asks AG KK Venugopal, is any officer from the Indian Air Force present in court to answer the queries on the issue?  

12:33 PM

The Modi Govt is clearly hiding behind the Rafale 'Secrecy Clause', petitioners tell Supreme Court.

12:32 PM

In the new deal, Rafale jets cost 40% more than earlier deal: Bhushan tells SC

12:31 PM

On pricing, there can’t be any 'secrecy' issue when the govt itself disclosed the price in Parliament. It’s a bogus argument for govt to say they can’t disclose pricing: Bhushan argues before SC

12:30 PM

There was no sovereign guarantee from the France government in the deal: Bhushan tells SC

12:27 PM

Senior lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, appearing for former Union minister Arun Shourie, who is also one of the petitioners in the Rafale deal case, submitted to the three-judge SC bench that only in three situations, the inter-governmental route can be taken, reports ANI.

12:26 PM

Pricing of the 36 Rafale aircraft deal was revealed in the Parliament twice, hence, the submission of government that pricing details cannot be made public was not acceptable: Counsel appearing for AAP MP Sanjay Singh tells SC  

12:25 PM

Sharma urges Supreme Court that the matter be heard by a five-judge bench.

12:23 PM

Petitioner advocate ML Sharma tells the Supreme Court that the submission made by the government in the court reveals that there has been serious fraud while making the decision after May 2015.

12:22 PM

Hearing on pricing details and the procedure followed by Centre concerning Rafale deal underway in the top court.