AMN / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear in open court the petitions seeking review of its verdict on Rafale fighter jets deal case.
The court had on 14th December last year dismissed pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, in a chamber hearing, allowed the prayer of former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie as also activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the review pleas be heard in open court.
The bench also considered the review petition filed by AAP MP Sanjay Singh through his lawyer.
On 14th December last year, the apex court had dismissed various pleas challenging the Rafale deal, saying that there was no occasion to really doubt the decision-making process warranting setting aside of the contract.
It had rejected the pleas seeking lodging of an FIR and the court-monitored probe, alleging irregularities in the 58,000 crore rupees deal.
Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan, have claimed in their review plea that the top court had relied upon patently incorrect claims made by the government in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover in the court.
They say the judgment was based on errors apparent on the face of the record and non-consideration of subsequent information which has come to light would cause a grave miscarriage of justice.