NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the bail petition of Christian James Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scandal’s money laundering case. This development follows a recent Supreme Court decision granting him bail in a related CBI corruption case.
During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed Michel’s bail, citing his British citizenship and flight risk. The ED said that the Supreme Court had explicitly acknowledged this risk. After hearing arguments, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma reserved the order. Michel’s legal counsel, Aljo K Joseph, informed the Delhi High Court about the Supreme Court’s decision, which granted him bail due to excessive delays in the CBI’s corruption trial.
Michel’s legal counsel, Aljo K Joseph, highlighted the Supreme Court’s decision, which granted him bail due to excessive trial delays. On February 18, the Court noted that at the current pace, the trial could take another 25 years, making prolonged detention unjustified. Michel, arrested and extradited to India on December 4, 2018, has been in custody for over five years, while the case originated in 2013. The `3,600-crore scam involves the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland during the UPA government.
On February 22, a trial court allowed the ED to conduct separate trials for accused individuals based on their cooperation. Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal ruled that segregating cases would speed up proceedings, invoking Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees a speedy trial.
Accused individuals responding to summons will be tried separately from those evading investigation. The case, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, involves 60 accused, with 21 untraceable. The first prosecution complaint was filed in 2014, and the latest—dated November 21, 2024—is the 12th supplementary complaint, highlighting significant delays.
The ED said that despite repeated efforts, summons and warrants against 21 accused entities remained unexecuted, with extradition proceedings still ongoing for five of them.