Rafale deal row: Supreme Court reserves verdict on Rafale case; here's everything you need to know about the hearing

The Rafale jet deal hearing today took place in the Supreme Court, and the bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi heard the matter, while reserving its order.

Earlier, the senior Supreme Court 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 Apex Court that only in three situations, the intergovernmental route can be resorted.

When the matter came upon the pricing issue, lawyer Prashant Bhushan said, “on pricing there can’t be any secrecy issue when govt itself disclosed the price in Parliament. It’s a bogus argument for govt to say they can’t disclose pricing. In new deal, Rafale jets cost 40% more than earlier deal.”

Thereafter, CJI Ranjan Gogoi called upon the Indian Air Force officers to clarify the doubts over the Rafale jet and asked the attorney general KK Venugopal, “Is any officer from Indian Air Force present in court to answer the queries on the issue? After all we are dealing with the air force, we would have liked to ask from the officer of Air force on the issue.”

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appeared for the Center said, “SC that secrecy is not on the price of aircraft but on weaponry & avionics.The price of Rafale with break up of weapons and avionics has been shared with the Court, but Court cannot sit in judicial review on it.”

CJI Ranjan Gogoi has said, “Any debate on pricing of the Rafale deal comes only if this Court decides those aspects needs to come in public domain.”

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