British national Christian Michel gets bail from SC in AgustaWestland chopper scam. All you need to know
The Supreme Court has granted bail to Christian Michel in connection with the CBI's investigation into the AgustaWestland helicopter corruption case.
FollowThe Supreme Court has granted bail to British national Christian Michel James in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam case. The top court noted that James has been in jail for six years, while the maximum sentence for the offense is seven years.
Hearing in Supreme Court
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted that James had been in custody for over six years, while investigations into the case were still ongoing. The Court emphasized that despite three chargesheets and two supplementary chargesheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the investigation remains incomplete. Consequently, the bench ordered his release on bail, subject to conditions set by the trial court.
What is AgustaWestland scam
The AgustaWestland scam centers on the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland, a helicopter manufacturing company. The deal, signed in February 2010, involved the purchase of helicopters worth 556.262 million euros for the Indian government. However, the CBI's investigation has alleged a loss of approximately 398.21 million euros (around Rs 2,666 crore) to the Indian exchequer due to the fraudulent deal.
Christian Michel's extradition to India
Christian Michel James, extradited from Dubai in 2018, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in December 2018 and placed in judicial custody in January 2019. The ED’s chargesheet claims that James received 30 million euros (around Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. Along with James, two other alleged middlemen, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, are also implicated in the scam.
Christian Michel’s legal journey
James had previously approached the Delhi High Court in 2024, seeking regular bail, but his request was rejected. The Supreme Court, however, considered the fact that James had already served over six years in custody and that the trial was still pending. The Court also acknowledged the ongoing investigation by the CBI and the ED and ruled in favor of granting bail, subject to the conditions set by the trial court.
Christian Michel’s legal battle took a dramatic turn when he claimed that the CBI had coerced him into signing a confession implicating former Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the deal, which he had refused to do. The CBI denied these allegations.
The role of Christian Michel in the scam
Christian Michel James is alleged to have played a crucial role in facilitating the AgustaWestland deal by influencing Indian Air Force (IAF) officials and members of the then-UPA government. As an established arms dealer, he is accused of acting as a middleman and assisting AgustaWestland in securing the contract. In addition to charges of conspiracy, James faces accusations of cheating, dishonestly inducing delivery of property, and more.
James’s arrest and extradition were part of ongoing efforts by the Indian government to address corruption linked to the deal, and he remains a central figure in the investigations into the AgustaWestland helicopter scam.
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