Alok Kumar Verma reviewing demand for probe in Rafale deal: Bhushan

Former BJP Minister Arun Shourie and Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday demanded that the CBI filed a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged abuse of public office causing undue benefits worth "tens of thousands of crores" to a crony capitalist in the Rafale jet fighter deal.

The complaint, handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Kumar Verma, was made in relation to an alleged scam in the purchase of 36 fighter jets from the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.

The duo also demanded that an FIR, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, be filed against the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, and industrialist Anil Ambani, whose Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) was chosen under the deal as the offset partner, "for conspiring with the Prime Minister".

The complaint accused Modi of securing "undue benefit" of about Rs one lakh crore to the private company by "unilaterally cancelling the deal" struck earlier, and compelling the French defence company to choose the Indian firm in question as the offset partner.

They also charged Modi with keeping the other "public servants", including the then Defence Secretary and Defence Minister, in the dark about the changes in the deal.

(With inputs from agencies.)