Supreme Court asks Centre to reply on Rafale review petition, posts matter for hearing on May 6

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday issued a formal notice to the Central government asking it to file its reply on the Rafale review petitions by May 4. The matter has been posted for hearing on May 6. Attorney General KK Venugopal sought four weeks time to file reply on the review.

The direction was given by a top court bench headed byChief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kaul and KM Joseph.

The development comes after the apex court on Mondayhad allowed the Centre to circulate a letter among parties concerned for the adjournment of today's hearing on pleas seeking review of its Rafale deal verdict of December 14 last year.

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A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna allowed senior advocate R Balasubramanian, appearing for the Centre, to circulate the letter among the parties which include petitioners who have filed review pleas.

The petitions seek review of the apex court's verdict that was pronounced last year in December wherein ithad dismissed the pleas challenging India's deal to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The Supreme Court had quashed the pleas. In its decision, the apex court had said that there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision-making process".

It added that there was no reason for any intervention by the court on the "sensitive issue" of purchase of 36 jets.

Meanwhile, the Centre, in its letter on Monday, had said it needs time to file reply on merits on the review petitions.

The review petitions filed by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan was listed for hearing before a bench headed by the Chief Justice today in the post-lunch session.

Two other review petitions - filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and advocate Vineet Dhanda - were also listed for hearing on Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies)