Lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former Union Minister Arun Shourie met CBI Director Alok Verma on Thursday and submitted a detailed complaint alleging corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal and offset contract and sought probe against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and others for alleged abetment under the various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Along with the complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Bhushan and Shourie also submitted documents buttressing their arguments for the need for a probe into the mega defence deal. The duo also urged the CBI Director to take permission of the Government to initiate the investigation in accordance with the amended Prevention of Corruption Act.
“CBI Director said he will look into it very carefully. We will take appropriate action,” Bhushan told reporters after coming out of the CBI headquarters.
“Mr Narendra Modi is a public servant presently occupying the office of the Prime Minister of India. Mr Anil Ambani is his long term friend and close associate who is the Chairman of Reliance ADA group of companies. Mr Anil Ambani’s companies have been verging at the point of insolvency. Creditors of his group companies have initiated proceedings against his companies to recover their dues. Reliance ADA group of companies for some time has been in dire financial health. Reliance ADA has had to sell many of its precious assets to pay off its interest obligations and stave off insolvency proceedings,” the complaint alleged.
“In these circumstances, a conspiracy was hatched by the two of them, by way of which Mr Modi obtained an ‘undue advantage’ from Dassault Aviation , for awarding a contract for 36 Rafale aircrafts in ‘fly away’ condition, by abusing the authority of his office and doing his public duty dishonestly and improperly. The ‘undue advantage’ has been received by his close associate and friend Mr Ambani….Mr Modi compelled Dassault to choose Mr Ambani as an offset partner, by way of which Mr Ambani received, and is receiving, and will continue to receive, for the next 40 years, an ‘undue advanatge’.” the complaint further alleged.
Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfil offset obligations of the deal. The Government has maintained it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.
India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2017 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. Half of the amount has to be utilised through offset mechanism.