Over the past few weeks, detailed notes on the entire negotiation process have come out in the open

In Sept 2016, the Modi govt signed an inter-government agreement with France for acquiring 36 Rafale fighter jets.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is still to work out the modalities of a probe into the alleged “theft of documents related to the Rafale deal”, even as the government informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that an investigation into the matter is underway.

Highly placed sources told ET that in the light of the government’s submission in the Supreme Court, the office of the ministry’s Director General (Acquisition) will look into the modalities of such a probe. The DG Acquisition handles defence procurement. 

Over the past few weeks, detailed notes on the entire negotiation process have come out in the open, revealing dissent among officials and the red flags raised during the process. Important issues regarding the Rafale deal that came to light were the government allegedly choosing to remove anti-corruption penalties and bank guarantee from France. Another matter that was brought out was the ministry raising objections to the parallel negotiations being conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office. 

In September 2016, the Modi government signed an inter-government agreement with France for acquiring 36 Rafale fighter jets. 

The Congress has made the deal the centrepiece of its corruption charge against PM Modi. The government on its part has not only denied the allegations, but has also questioned the intent of the Congress in raising the issue.