Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 4: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, citing his prolonged incarceration of over six years and the delay in the commencement of trial proceedings under the anti-money laundering law.
Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, who presided over the case, observed that Michel has already spent more than six years and two months in custody, with no signs of the trial concluding within the maximum prescribed sentence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Given that the trial has not even begun, the court ruled in favor of granting him regular bail.
The bench also noted that Michel had previously been granted bail in the related corruption case by the Supreme Court, based on the argument that the investigation remained incomplete and trial proceedings were yet to commence.
As per the bail conditions, Michel is required to furnish a personal bond and surety of ?5,00,000 each and surrender his passport before the trial court. The court further clarified that he cannot be released without the Delhi High Court’s permission. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also been given the liberty to request stringent conditions before Michel's release, considering his past conduct and the fact that he was extradited to India.
The High Court underscored that Michel must fully cooperate with the investigation and trial whenever required.
Background of the Case
Christian Michel, a British national, is accused in the ?3,600 crore AgustaWestland scam, which pertains to alleged kickbacks in the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters for the Indian Air Force. He was extradited from the UAE to India on December 5, 2018, after which he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and later taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He has remained in judicial custody at Tihar Jail ever since.
Michel's legal team argued that he had already served six years in prison despite the fact that the maximum sentence under PMLA is seven years. Various courts had previously denied his bail on multiple occasions.
The AgustaWestland contract, signed with Italian defense firm Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary in 2010, was scrapped in 2014 following allegations of a ?423 crore bribery scandal. In 2020, the CBI filed a supplementary charge sheet against 15 accused, including Michel and Rajiv Saxena (an accused-turned-approver). An earlier charge sheet, filed in 2017, had named former Indian Air Force Chief S.P. Tyagi and 11 others.
With the Delhi High Court’s latest ruling, Michel is set to be released under strict conditions, but the legal battle surrounding the AgustaWestland case continues.