A veteran journalist has requested the Supreme Court to monitor the probe into the multi-crore AgustaWestland scam, specifically the pay-offs allegedly doled out by the Italian firm and its parent company Finmeccanica to “manage” the Indian media and several “prominent journalists”.
A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Arun Mishra has scheduled the writ petition filed by noted journalist and author Hari Jaisingh for hearing on January 3.
Mr. Jaisingh asked the top court to intervene in the investigation of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), and seek a status report on whether the media played a role in influencing the skewed deal.
The petition asked the Supreme Court to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate “allegations of corruption and influence peddling in the Indian media, and to suggest corrective measures to safeguard against such ills”.
Pointing to the leakage of classified documents from the Defence Ministry dealing with big-ticket procurement and plans, Mr. Jaisingh said “... it is therefore crucial to note that such active nexus between the so-called agents of defence dealings with journalists should be scrutinised by this Honourable Court.”
He sought a directive to the Centre to obtain affidavits of financial disclosures from the members of the media who have received funding and hospitality from foreign and domestic defence industries.
“... six million Euros (approximately 50 crore) was set aside to manage the Indian media,” the petition said.
The petition alleged how in 2013, Finmeccanica invited a group of Indian journalists on a fully paid for trip to Italy. “Notably, it was Christian Michel who had organised and facilitated the entire trip for the journalists. Respondent No. 3 (ED) was reportedly investigating one of the journalists who was receiving received hospitality from Agusta Westland in March 2015,” the petition said.
