Government hands over Rafale price details to Supreme Court

New Delhi : 13 days after the government had rejected demands to disclose the price of fighter jets Rafale, the Supreme Court has been given a top secret sealed cover mentioning the price of 32 fighter jets bought by India from France.

Breaking a rule, the sealed envelope from the Defence Ministry was taken straight to SC secretary general Ravindra Maithani's office on Monday. Even attorney general KK Venugopal was not shown the content of the report.

The decision to submit details came after a meeting of high level government officials and BJP.

Sources said the government's reluctance to share pricing details was meant to impress upon the court the sensitivity of such details in defence purchases.

"It was meant only for the eyes of the Chief Justice of India and his companion judge(s) on the bench that is hearing the PILs questioning the rationale behind the NDA government going for 36 Rafale jets in flyaway condition as compared to the UPA government's decision to procure 126 Rafale aircraft from French company Dassault," ministry sources told TOI.

Opposition had been targeting Modi government of playing a scam with Rafale Deal and not revealing the actual price of the fighter jets.