The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the review petitions seeking probe into the Rafale deal. The top court further said it doesn’t feel necessary to order FIR or roving inquiry into the Rafale deal case. “We find the review petitions are without any merit,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said. The bench also comprised Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph. The apex court had reserved the verdict on the deal in May this year.

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal representing the Centre argued before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that there was no “corruption” in the Rafale deal and that the government is bound to maintain secrecy on pricing, as per Inter-Government Agreement signed between India and France. The AG had insisted that the world over, defence deals are not examined in a court of law.

Referring to the Rafale deal as a question of national security, the AG had told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, “We have signed an IGA, which we are obliged to follow. Rafale is not for ornamentation. It is essential for the protection of each and every one of us….nowhere in the world such matters go before the court.”

The AG also told the court that in accordance with Article 10 of the IGA, the pricing in the deal cannot be disclosed. “In this matter, the secrecy clause of the inter-governmental agreement between India and France, pertains to defence deals and not to the award of contract for construction of flyover or dams…,” said the AG, insisting on the dismissal of review petitions.