The Modi government today complied with a Supreme Court order and handed over to petitioners, who sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the document detailing the decisions taken to procure the aircraft.
The document titled "Details of the steps in the decision making process leading to the award of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft order" stated that the process as laid down in the Defence Procurement Procedure-2013 has been followed in procurement of the Rafale aircraft.
It said the procurement process laid down in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) has been completely followed for the procurement of aircraft and Approval of Defence Acquisition Council for aircraft taken for the same.
The documents said the Indian Negotiating Team was constituted which conducted negotiations with the French side for about an year and approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security, being the Competent Financial Authority, was taken before signing the Inter Government Agreement.
The document was supplied to the petitioners as per the apex court's October 31 order.
In its order, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, told the Centre that it must bring details of the decision-making process of the deal into the public domain, except those that were confidential and had strategic importance. The order was given in view of the government's arguments that details of the deal were too sensitive to be shared in Parliament.
The petitions seeking the probe in the Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda.
Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed the petition.
Former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and acivist lawyer Prashant Bhushan also filed a joint petition.
The matter is due for next hearing on November 14.
(With inputs from PTI)
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