NEW DELHI, Dec 20: An Indian court ordered police on Thursday to complete a probe into charges that a bribe was paid in a multi-billion dollar deal to buy Scorpene submarines from a French defence firm.

The Delhi High Court told the Central Bureau of Investigation to complete its inquiry within three months and report back to a two-judge bench, court officials said.

The order came a month after a non-government organisation said New Delhi was shielding Indian middlemen who allegedly took a commission from French defence giant Thales, which owns Armaris, to clinch the deal.

Thales and the French government have denied the allegations.

India in October last year signed contracts worth 2.4 billion euros ($3 billion) with Armaris and European defence firm MBDA to buy six of the Franco-Spanish submarines.

The deal is a technology transfer agreement.—AFP