NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court dismissed Friday calls for aninvestigation into a controversial French fighter jet deal, in a move seenas a boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 2016 multi-billion dollar deal between the Indian government and Frenchaircraft manufacturer Dassault has become mired in corruption allegations,with critics accusing Modi of using the agreement to favour a key backer.
Several petitions by activists and politicians had demanded the court ordera probe amid claims the prime minister violated defence procurement rules.
But the country’s top court refused to intervene, saying it had “no doubtin the process” of procurement.
The French company initially won the contract to supply 126 fighter jets toIndia in 2012 but negotiations floundered.
Dassault promised to deliver 18 fly-away jets, with the remaining aircraftbeing manufactured in India in collaboration with the state-run HindustanAeronautics Limited (HAL).
However, during a visit to France in 2015 Modi scrapped the deal, signedunder the previous Congress government, opting for 36 fly-away planesinstead for an estimated sum of $9.4 billion.
They signed a formal agreement in 2016, with the first aircraft to bedelivered in 2019.
The new agreement saw Dassault partner with India’s Reliance businessconglomerate headed by billionaire Anil Ambani.
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Several reports say Dassault was forced to choose Reliance by Modi despitehaving almost no aviation experience.
Under Indian defence procurement rules, foreign companies winning contractsmust “offset” or reinvest half the total value in joint ventures orpurchases with Indian firms.
Friday’s ruling is seen as a victory for the Modi’s right-wing Hindunationalist government that suffered a major electoral debacle in statepolls early this week.
The Bharatiya Janata Party lost three key states to the opposition CongressParty, which has been rigorously attacking Modi over themulti-billion-dollar deal.
“This decision is wrong in my opinion,” Prashant Bhushan, one of thepetitioners told reporters outside the court Friday.
“(Our) campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will filea review petition,” he said. -APP/AFP
