A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre to cancel any existing licences and halt the grant of new licences/permissions to various companies in India for the export of arms and other military equipment to Israel during the Israel-Palestine conflict.These companies include a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Defence, M/s Munitions India Limited and other private companies such as M/s Premier Explosive, Adani Defence and Aerospace Ltd., and others alleged the petition filed by 11 people, including Ashok Kumar Sharma, a retired civil servant and social activist.
"At least 3 companies in India dealing with the manufacture and export of arms and munitions have been granted licenses for the export of arms and munitions to Israel, even during this period of the ongoing war in Gaza. These licences have been obtained from either the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) or the Department of Defence Production (DDP) that authorise the export of arms and munitions for dual use and specifically for military purposes," the plea stated.
The plea filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan said that granting a license for the export of arms and other military equipment to Israel is in violation of India's obligations under international law coupled with Articles 14 and 21 read with 51(C) of the Constitution of India.India must immediately make every effort to ensure that weapons already delivered to Israel are not used to commit genocide, contribute to acts of genocide or are used in such a way as to violate international humanitarian law, added the petition.
"That in light of this constitutional mandate, any supply of arms and munitions to the State of Israel by India is morally unconscionable and legally and constitutionally unsustainable," it stated further.
"India should immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance, including military equipment, in so far as this aid may be used in the violation of the Genocide Convention, international humanitarian law or other peremptory norms of general international law," stated the petition.