HC declines to order CBI or SIT probe into Scorpene deal

Delhi High Court today refused to order a court-monitored probe by a special investigative team (SIT) or CBI into allegations of irregularities and presence of middlemen in the Rs 19,000 crore Scorpene submarine deal with French company Thales.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath dismissed a PIL and passed the order on the basis of a preliminary enquiry report filed by CBI which had concluded that the allegations of irregularities in the defence deal were not established and sufficient material was not available to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court dismissed the PIL filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking CBI probe into the purchase of Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy in 2005 from Thales. It had alleged that Rs 500 crore was paid to influence the decision makers.

The government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain and central government standing counsel Jasmeet Singh, had denied the allegations.
"We have carefully gone through the Preliminary Enquiry Report. We found that it is concluded in the report that in view of the inquiries made with the Ministry of Defence and in the light of the discussion of various aspects mentioned therein, the allegations regarding irregularities in processing of Scorpene deal are not established and the material available is not sufficient for registering a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
In the light of the said Report, the relief as prayed for cannot be granted," the court said.

CPIL had alleged that the government had gone ahead with the deal despite having knowledge about involvement of middlemen as pointed out by the Central Vigilance Commission and the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Ministry of Defence way back in 2002.
CVC in its report had also informed the government that one of the companies involved in the deal was blacklisted by the CVO of the Ministry, which still went ahead and signed the deal, CPIL had claimed in its plea.