SC seeks CBI's response on Christian Michel's bail plea in AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper Case

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a bail plea of British citizen Christian Michel, accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a bail plea of British citizen Christian Michel, accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B Varale issued a notice to the CBI and sought a response to Michel's plea within four weeks.

On September 25, the Delhi High Court denied his plea for bail. Thereafter, he approached the top court seeking bail. Earlier, a trial court in Delhi had rejected a similar plea by Michel seeking release from custody. Christian Michel James was extradited in 2018 after India won the extradition case in Dubai. Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the deal, was deported from the UAE and is currently in judicial custody.

The Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena was extradited to India on January 31, 2019, in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore. Earlier in September, the Delhi High Court led by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, dismissed the bail plea of Christian Michel James, The court noted that there was no significant change in circumstances or new grounds that would justify reconsidering the bail. Earlier, the trial court had also rejected his bail plea, citing the serious nature of the allegations against him.

Michel was arrested in Dubai following the issuance of Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) in 2015 and a subsequent Red Corner Notice. He was extradited to India on December 4, 2018. The trial court pointed out that Michel had not voluntarily appeared before the court or cooperated with the investigation, making him a flight risk. Thus, he could not claim parity with other accused individuals who were granted bail. (ANI)

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