Rafale verdict today LIVE: In a big setback for the Modi government a day ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha election, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the defence ministry files objected to by the Centre are admissible evidence. The apex court said that Rafale review petitions will be heard on merit. Date for hearing review petition on merits will be decided later, it said.
“We dismiss the preliminary objection raised by Union of India questioning the maintainability of the review petition,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said.
The petitions were filed by the former BJP leader and Union minister Yashwant Sinha, journalist-turned-politician Arun Shourie and noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan.
A bench comprising CJI Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Joseph had on March 14 reserved its order on the “preliminary issue and the claim of privilege by the government”.
