New Delhi, December 14 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Fridaydismissed four petitions seeking court-monitored probe into the purchase of 36Rafale jet fighters in ready to fly conditions holding that the decision makingprocess was not in doubt and it cannot go into the question of pricing andchoice of offset Indian partner by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault.
Referring to their interaction with senior air forceofficers and the material placed before it, a bench of Chief Justice RanjanGogoi, Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph said: "We aresatisfied there is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process."
Saying that the perception of individuals cannot be thebasis of interfering with the deal, Gogoi pronouncing the judgment said thatthe deal was inked on September 23, 2016 but nothing was called into questiontill former French President Francois Hollande in an interview allegedpressures from Indian government on the choice of offset partner.
Observing that India can't afford to be unprepared in theskies, the court said that the need for the aircraft, and the quality of theaircraft was not in doubt, and "We can't sit on the wisdom...".
Saying that it can't go into each aspect of the process ofacquisition of the aircrafts, the court said that the earlier deal was takinglong and was not concluding.
On the choice of offset Indian partner, the court said thatthe role of Indian government cannot be envisaged as it was entirely for thevendor Dassault to make a choice.
The apex court said that there was no evidence of commercialfavouratism by the government.
The Centre had earlier defended the deal while admittingthat there was "no sovereign guarantee from France, but there is a letterof comfort..."
The petitions seeking the probe were filed by Prashant Bhushan, Arun Shourie, former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, advocates M.L. Sharma and Vineet Dhanda, and Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker in Parliament Sanjay Singh.
