HC refuses CBI probe into Air India planes purchase

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a plea seeking a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in puchase of 111 planes by Air India during the tenure of Praful Patel as Civil Aviation Minister in UPA-I.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri dismissed the petition saying it is premature as the Comptroller and Auditor General ( CAG) report on the ministry's performance audit, which dubbed the deal as "a recipe for disaster", is already before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC).

"This (CAG) report was placed before PAC which is looking into it, so much so that the respondent number seven (Praful Patel) has been summoned by the PAC. This petition is premature," the bench said.

The bench, however, gave liberty to the petitioner M Furquan, a journalist, to approach a court if he is not satisfied by any decision taken by the PAC.

In his petition, Furquan had sought directions to the central government to order a CBI enquiry into the alleged "corruption in the purchase of aircraft by the 6th respondent (Air India) for a sum of Rs 50,000 crores making it bankrupt".

He said Patel now the Heavy Industries Minister in UPA-II, "played a vital role in the present plight of Air India.