NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday instructed jail authorities to facilitate the passport application process for Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, to meet his bail conditions.
Michel, extradited from Dubai in December 2018, has been in judicial custody in India for over five years. He informed Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal that his passport had expired and that he would require at least two months to complete the necessary formalities for its renewal. As per the bail conditions, he must surrender a valid passport before being released. On March 7, the court had granted Michel bail, requiring him to furnish a bond of Rs 5 lakh with one surety of the same amount.
The court also mandated that he apply for a new passport through the British High Commission and submit it to the authorities once issued. However, when the judge inquired on Tuesday whether he was prepared to fulfill the bail bond requirements, Michel hesitated, responding that there were “certain issues.” Previously, he had also raised concerns about his safety outside jail, expressing a preference to remain in custody despite being granted bail. Meanwhile, Michel has submitted an application requesting a conduct report from jail officials, covering his behaviour since his incarceration in January 2019. His legal team has argued that obtaining this report is essential for assessing his eligibility for remission.
Michel’s legal troubles stem from allegations of corruption and money laundering in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal, which remains one of India’s most scrutinised defense scandals. While the SC recently granted him bail in the case filed by the CBI.