New Delhi: The Centre made yet another attempt on Monday to delay the review hearing in the Rafale deal slated on Tuesday by seeking an adjournment to allow it to file an affidavit.
The Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi did not pass any order on the adjournment, but allowed the Centre to submit its request. The Centre, in its letter, said it needs time to file a reply on merits on the review petitions.
After failing to prevent the review hearing on the ground that the documents furnished by the petitioners were classified, stolen and cannot be used, the Centre’s intention is to somehow delay the hearing at least until the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are over. The Supreme Court goes into summer vacation on May 10 and the review case will be deferred to July when it reopens, if the Bench agrees on an adjournment on Tuesday.
The review petition filed by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan is listed for hearing before a bench headed by the Chief Justice on Tuesday in the post lunch session. Two other review petitions — filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and advocate Vineet Dhanda — are also listed for hearing on Tuesday.