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Following is the chronology of events in which the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed leaked documents to be relied upon by petitioners seeking review of its Rafale judgment and dismissed the government’s preliminary objections claiming “privilege” over them:
December 30, 2002: Defence Procurement Procedures (DPP) adopted to streamline procurement.
August 28, 2007: Ministry of Defence issues Request for Proposal for procurement of 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) fighters.
September 4, 2008: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group incorporates Reliance Aerospace Technologies Ltd (RATL).
May 2011: Air Force shortlists Rafale and Eurofighter jets.
January 30, 2012: Dassault Aviation’s Rafale aircraft comes up with the lowest bid.
March 13, 2014: Work Share agreement signed between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dassault Aviation under which they were responsible for 70 per cent and 30 per cent of the work, respectively, for 108 aircraft.
August 8, 2014: Then defence minister Arun Jaitley tells Parliament that 18 direct ‘fly-away’ aircraft expected to be delivered in 3-4 years from signing of the contract. Remaining 108 aircraft to be delivered in the next seven years.
April 8, 2015: The then foreign secretary says detailed discussions underway between Dassault, MoD and HAL.
April 10, 2015 : New deal for acquisition of 36 direct ‘fly-away’ aircraft from France announced.
January 26, 2016 : India and France sign MoU for 36 Rafale aircraft.
September 23, 2016: Inter-governmental agreement signed.
November 18, 2016: Government states in Parliament that the cost of each Rafale aircraft to be approximately Rs 670 crore and that all aircraft will be delivered by April 2022.
Also read: Rafale deal: SC dismisses Centre’s objections, to review its verdict
December 31, 2016: Dassault Aviation’s Annual Report reveals the actual price paid for the 36 aircrafts at about Rs 60,000 crore, more than double the government’s stated price in Parliament.
March 13, 2018: Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in SC seeks independent probe into Centre’s decision to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and disclosure of the cost involved in the deal before Parliament.
September 5, 2018: SC agrees to hear PIL seeking stay on Rafale fighter jet deal.
September 18, 2018: SC adjourns hearing on PIL seeking stay on Rafale fighter jet deal to October 10.
October 8, 2018: SC agrees to hear on October 10 fresh PIL seeking direction to Centre to file in “sealed cover” the details of the agreement for buying 36 Rafale fighter Jets.
October 10, 2018: SC asks Centre to provide details of decision making process in the Rafale fighter jet deal in a sealed cover.
October 24, 2018: Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan move SC, seeking registration of FIR into Rafale fighter jet deal.
October 31, 2018: SC asks Centre to place before it in a sealed cover within 10 days the pricing details of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
November 12, 2018: Centre places price details of 36 Rafale fighter jets in a sealed cover before SC. It also gives details of steps that led to finalisation of the Rafale deal.
November 14, 2018: SC reserves order on pleas seeking court-monitored probe in Rafale deal.
December 14, 2018: SC says there is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process of the Modi government and dismisses all the petitions seeking direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the jet deal.
December 15, 2018: Government moves Supreme Court seeking correction in para which makes reference to CAG report and PAC.
January 2, 2019: Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, advocate Prashant Bhushan moves SC seeking review of Rafale verdict.
Read:Rafale: ‘Don’t worry Modi ji’, probe will take place now, says Congress
January 14, 2019: AAP MP Sanjay Singh moves SC seeking review of Rafale verdict.
February 21, 2019: Bhushan seeks hearing on plea seeking perjury prosecution of some officials for misleading court in Rafale case.
February 26, 2019: SC decides to hear pleas seeking review of Rafale verdict in open court.
March 6, 2019: Documents related to Rafale deal stolen from Defence Ministry, Centre tells SC, threatens The Hindu newspaper with the Official Secrets Act for publishing articles based on them.
March 8, 2019: Attorney General clarifies that Rafale documents not stolen, petitioners used photocopies.
March 13, 2019: Review plea based on leaked secret documents jeopardises national security, Centre tells SC.
March 14, 2019: Will first decide preliminary objection raised by Centre, says SC, reserves verdict.
April 10, 2019: SC allows use of leaked documents, dismisses Centre’s objections claiming privilege.
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