New Delhi [India], Oct 10 (NT): A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the PM Modi –led central government to file a reply regarding the decision-making process of the Rafale deal which is in a sealed cover.

Without issuing any notice, the top court decided this after hearing three petitions seeking a probe into how fighter-jet deal was finalized. Strongly opposing the petitions, Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, the top law officer represented the Union government of India. He said to the apex court that such kinds of petitions should be dismissed as they are politically motivated cases.

"We are not inclined to issue any notice at present. We are only seeking a report from the Union Of India with respect to the decision making process in the deal (Rafale) in a sealed cover," the 3 bench of top court comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph Judges said.

Lawyer and one of the petitioners in the case, Manohar Lal Sharma, submitted to the, that the Rafale deal is a direct violation of the law and is an act of corruption. The deal is against the Vienna convention and the grand old Congress party has not any role of itself from the petition. But instead it decided to approach the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to take up the matter.

The Congress party took a dig at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging that the latter facilitated an offset contract between Rafale's manufacturer Dassault and Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence. It also accused that the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was sidelined.