India's apex court on Wednesday directed the Narendra Modi government to submit crucial details of the $8.7 billion Rafale fighter jet deal struck with France in 2016 within the next 10 days. The strategic details sought by the court include information on the induction of an Indian offset partner and pricing details.
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"We would like the details of pricing and cost to be submitted to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover. This may be submitted in the next 10 days," Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said while hearing a petition filed by an advocate and former ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie.
The three-bench jury said that the suitability of the jet and its utility has not been questioned.
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"What had been questioned is bonafide of the decision-making and price," they said.
The bench said that if the pricing of the Rafale jet could not be shared with the court, even in a sealed cover, since government considers it as a violation of the Official Secret Act, and it should say so in an affidavit.
India's main opposition party has accused the Indian government of corruption and crony capitalism claiming that the price of each Rafale Jet under the current deal has gone up significantly without proper justification as compared to the previous deal during their tenure.