The Central government has informed the Supreme Court today that certain documents relating to the Rafale deal have been stolen from the Defence Ministry. A probe has also been initiated into the matter, Attorney-General KK Venugopal said while making a submission before the court.
Stating that it was “a very sensitive case”, the Attorney-General added that the government was considering invoking the Official Secrecy Act as it deals with “defence purchases” and “involves the security of the state”.
“It is a criminal offence. We are objecting preliminary because secret documents can’t be annexed with the petition. Review and perjury petitions must be dismissed,” said the Attorney General.
The petitioners had drawn the court’s attention to an investigative report published by The Hindu.
Stating that the Rafale-related documents were stolen, the Attorney General added that one of the national dailies had published it after that. He said it would also deter “other countries” from engaging with India as they would become “hesitant in doing deals” for all the “media attention, public domain and court proceedings” it involved, stated the attorney general.
Review petitions filed by former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan had urged the apex court to review its earlier ruling of not ordering a probe into the purchase of 36 Rafale jet aircrafts by the Indian government.
The case will next be heard on March 14.
