NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal V R Chaudhari and two other officers from Indian Air Force appeared before the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to assist it on the issue of the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.
The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, asked the officials about latest induction in the Air Force. “We are dealing with the requirements of the Air Force and would like to ask an Air Force officer on Rafale jets. We want to hear from an Air force officer and not the official of the Defence Ministry on the issue,” the bench said when the Attorney General began his arguments on behalf of the Centre in the pre-lunch session Wednesday.
Four top officers, including Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall Anil Khosla, Air Marshall V R Chaudhari and J Chelapati, who appeared before the court, submitted that there has been no fresh induction after Mirage aircraft in 1985.
