AgustaWestland case: Delhi HC dismisses Christian Michel's interim bail plea

Denying interim bail to Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the VVIP chopper scandal, the Delhi High Court has held that Michel is a “flight risk and also has no roots in the society”. Michel had petitioned the court seeking interim bail citing COVID-19 infection risk as a ground.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman arrested in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam cases by the CBI and ED, seeking interim bail on the ground of the risk of contracting coronavirus in Tihar jail.

Justice Mukta Gupta, who conducted the hearing through video conferencing, said the apprehension of Michel that because of his vulnerable age and overcrowding in jail he is likely to contact COVID-19 which may be detrimental to his health, is unfounded.

The probe agencies opposed the interim bail plea.

The 59-year-old Michel claimed that his health condition was critical and incompatible with the current prison status, especially to cope with the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection which could have a lethal effect on him as he is already suffering from serious pathologies.

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the ED on December 22, 2018.

On January 5 last year, he was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also in judicial custody in another case registered by the CBI in connection with the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

PTI Report