Delhi HC Denies Christian Michel's Release in AgustaWestland Chopper Scam

The Delhi High Court has rejected Christian Michels plea for release in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, upholding his continued detention and raising questions about the India-UAE extradition treaty.

Photograph: ANI PhotoKey PointsDelhi High Court dismisses Christian Michels petition for release in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

Michel challenged the India-UAE extradition treaty, arguing he should only be prosecuted for offences for which he was extradited.

Michel claimed he had already served the maximum sentence for the offences he was extradited for, rendering his detention illegal.

Despite being granted bail by the Supreme Court in the CBI case and the High Court in the ED case, Michel remains in jail due to his inability to fulfil the bail conditions.

The CBI alleges a significant loss to the exchequer due to the AgustaWestland deal, while the ED claims Michel received substantial funds from AgustaWestland.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition by alleged middleman Christian Michel James in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case seeking his release from jail.

A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja said there was no merit in the petition by the British national, who was extradited from Dubai in December 2018. A detailed copy of the verdict is awaited.