Supreme Court adjourns Rafale review hearing to May 6

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the Rafale review hearing to May 6. The top court issued formal notice to Centre on review petitions filed against the December 14 judgement on Rafale deal. Attorney General KK Venugopal sought four-week time to file reply on the review. Court then asked Centre to file reply by May 4 and posted the matter for hearing on May 6.

On Monday, the Centre on Monday sought time to file fresh affidavit in the Rafale review petition case. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had dismissed governments objection claiming privilege over stolen documents which were used by petitioners to seek review of Rafale judgement. The Supreme Court had allowed the admissibility of three of the procured documents in Rafale deal.

On April 13, the Ministry of Defence rejected as "totally inaccurate and tendentious" a media report claiming that France waived off taxes worth 143.7 million Euros to a telecom subsidiary of Anil Ambani's company in 2015, months after India's announcement of buying 36 Rafale jets

"We have seen reports drawing conjectural connection between tax exemption to a private company and procurement of Rafale jets by Government of India. Neither the period of tax concession nor subject matter of concession relate to Rafale procurement, concluded in present Government's tenure," the Defence Ministry said in a statement. 

"Any connections drawn between the tax issue and the Rafale matter is totally inaccurate, tendentious and is a mischievous attempt to disinform," the statement added. 

Earlier that day, Le Monde, a leading French newspaper, said the French tax authorities accepted 7.3 million euros from Reliance Flag Atlantic France as a settlement as against original demand of 151 million euros. Reliance Flag owns a terrestrial cable network and other telecom infrastructure in France.