New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list after two weeks a PIL seeking inquiry into the Rafale deal in the light of recent reports in a French news portal alleging payment of bribe by Dassault Aviation to an Indian middleman.
Advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, who filed by petition, mentioned the matter before the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde today.
In his fresh petition, Sharma seeks directions to quash the deal to procure 36 fighter jets from French company Dassault Aviation as an “outcome of corruption and violation of Articles 13, 21, and 253 of the Constitution of India”.
Sharma has further prayed for an investigation to be conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after registration of an FIR against the Respondent Nos. 1 and 2, which includes current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under PC Act of 1988, read with Sections 409, 420 and 120-B of IPC and Section 3 of the Official Secret Act, 1923. He has sought for the report to be filed before the Apex Court.
The plea is an outcome of an investigation report by France’s anti-corruption agency, Agence Française Anticorruption (AGA), wherein it was declared that Dassault had paid a bribe of 1 million Euros to middlemen in India.
“Due to political pressure, prosecution upon AFA’s report has been suspended/stayed. It’s a serious offence under Secret Act, 1923, injuries financial and defence to the country. It’s violated Art. 21 and 13 of the Constitution of India”,
submits the plea and calls for the investigation report to be brought before the Court.