The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre on Christian Michel James's plea for release from jail, citing that he has already served the maximum sentence for the offences for which he was extradited.
Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, has been in jail for over seven years following his extradition from Dubai in 2018.
His lawyer argued that the charge against Michel under the Prevention of Corruption Act carries a maximum punishment of five years, and he has remained in jail for a period exceeding the maximum sentence for the alleged offence.
The petition challenged Article 17 of the India-UAE extradition treaty, which allows prosecution for 'connected offences', and cited an order of the UK High Court recognising the Doctrine of Speciality for extraditing Nirav Modi.
The Supreme Court has posted the matter for July and issued notice to the Centre and the investigating agencies.
