NEW DELHI: The Tihar Jail administration informed a Delhi court that Christian Michel James, accused of being a middleman in the Agusta Westland case, was not eligible for remission since he had not been convicted.
The jail superintendent further told Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal that James had not faced any punitive action during his custody and that his behavior while incarcerated had been “satisfactory.” In response to James’ petition requesting a six-month remission, the judge sought a detailed report on the matter.
Last week the Court had directed the Director General (DG) of Prisons to submit a comprehensive report detailing the conduct of Christian Michel James during his six-year incarceration in Tihar Jail. The order comes in response to a plea from James’s legal team, which has argued that jail rules entitle well-behaved prisoners to remission of one month per year served.
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.
Michel’s legal troubles stem from allegations of corruption and money laundering in the `3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal, which remains one of India’s most scrutinised defense scandals. While the Supreme Court recently granted him bail in the case filed by the CBI, the Delhi High Court also approved his release in the related money laundering case, citing his prolonged imprisonment without significant trial progress.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of HC, in her ruling, took into account the Supreme Court’s earlier decision on February 18, which had granted Michel relief in the CBI matter. Despite securing bail, his reluctance to leave prison has added an unusual dimension to the high-profile case.