Christian Michel's Prison Release Bid Hits Roadblock as CBI, ED Contest Delhi HC Plea
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Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the high-profile Augusta Westland VVIP chopper case, faces a setback in his bid to be released from prison. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have opposed his plea in the Delhi High Court, arguing that he has not completed the maximum sentence for the offences he is accused of. In separate replies, the agencies contended that the extradition decree permits the trial of Michel for charges beyond those specified in the extradition order. The CBI and ED pointed out that Michel is accused of serious offences, including cheating, forgery, and money laundering, which carry punishments of up to seven years or life imprisonment. The CBI affidavit stated that the extradition decree covers sections 420 and 120B of the IPC, which are allegations levelled against Michel. The ED's reply also noted that the extradition decree records misuse of position or job, money laundering, collusion, fraud, misappropriation, and offering illegal gratification as the allegations against Michel. The Delhi High Court has adjourned the case to February 20, after Michel's lawyer was asked to file a rejoinder to the agency's response. Michel had approached the high court against the trial court's August 7 order denying his request to be released from prison. The case dates back to 2004, when senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Special Protection Group (SPG), and Air Force allegedly agreed to tweak the mandatory service ceiling of helicopters to favour AgustaWestland, causing a loss of €398.21 million (approx. ₹2,666 crore) to the government. The ED is probing the money trail linked to kickbacks in the deal.
