Jet-Etihad Airways deal challenged in SC

The controversial Jet-Etihad Airways deal reached the Supreme Court on Monday with senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filing a petition seeking to quash the approval given to it by the Centre .

Swamy in his petition has also sought a CBI probe against the government officials who had cleared the deal.

"Issue a direction to set aside and revoke any action or decision or grant of any further approvals/permissions/ permits, etc. by the respondent(govt) authorities, based upon, relying upon or in furtherance of the impugned bilateral dated April 24," the petition said.

"The petitioner challenges such arbitrary, irrational and malafide act of grant of largesse in the form of bilateral/ MoU dated April 24 and by way of the present petition seeks an investigation under the supervision of this Court into the matters of national and public interest," he said in his petition.

He questioned the Centre's decision to execute the agreement in favour of Abu Dhabi under the existing Air Service Agreement between the governments of India and United Arab Emirates.

"The actions of the authorities from the execution of the bilateral to the unprecedented haste in order to assist the realisation of wrongful gains by the facilitator are writ large with acts of collusion and abuse of position," the petition said.

In the first ever investment by a foreign airline in an Indian carrier, Jet Airways had on April 24 announced plans to sell 24 per cent equity to Etihad Airways for about Rs 2,058 crore, as part of a strategic alliance that would lead to a major expansion in their global network.

With PTI inputs