NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its decision on a plea by British arms consultant Christian James Michel, seeking modification of the bail conditions set by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper scam.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma reserved the order after hearing arguments from both Michel and the ED’s counsel. Michel took part in the proceedings through video call, as he is currently in Tihar Jail.
Michel urged the court to relax two of his bail terms – the stipulation to provide a Rs 5 lakh as surety, and the condition mandating him to surrender his passport to the authorities.
Michel’s counsel said his old passport has expired and getting a new one could take anywhere from four to eight weeks. He further argued, as a foreign national, no one in India would be willing to stand as a surety for Michel, adding that the petitioner should not be kept in jail simply because the process of renewing his passport was taking longer than expected.
The ED opposed Michel’s request, stating that the conditions were justified. The agency contended that without a local surety, there was no way to ensure Michel’s return to India if he were allowed to travel abroad.
Michel was granted bail by Justice Sharma on March 4. On February 18, the Supreme Court had granted him bail in the case filed by the CBI in relation to the same alleged VVIP chopper scam.
The CBI claims the deal to supply VVIP helicopters caused a loss of around `2,666 crore to the Indian government prompting ED to take up money laundering probe in the case.