The
Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by British national
Christian Michel James, the accused middleman in the ?3,600-crore
AgustaWestland money laundering case. Michel had challenged a bail condition
that required him to furnish a local residential address.
A
bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar upheld the Delhi High Court’s
May 22 order, which directed Michel to provide an address for his residence post-release.
Michel has been in Tihar Jail since his extradition from the United Arab
Emirates in December 2018.
The
bench expressed disapproval of Michel’s refusal to meet this basic requirement,
stating, “You have a permanent address inside Tihar jail. You stay there only.
What to do?”
The
Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the money laundering aspect of
the case, supported the high court’s revised conditions and questioned Michel’s
reluctance. The bench also asked Michel’s legal team why the accused, who had
actively pursued legal remedies, could not provide an address through family or
other contacts.
“We granted you bail and you don’t even want
to fulfil a condition of providing a local address,” Justice Nath remarked.
When Michel’s counsel argued that he had no residence in India after over six
years of imprisonment, the court noted that his family was involved in his
legal representation and could assist with this requirement.
The
court dismissed the petition outright, calling it “all an excuse” and
reiterating that the bail condition was neither unreasonable nor impractical.
Michel,
a British citizen, had been granted bail earlier by the Supreme Court and the
Delhi High Court in related cases filed by the CBI and ED. Due to his foreign
nationality, the high court relaxed some bail conditions, allowing him to
submit a personal bond of ?5 lakh along with a cash surety of ?10 lakh instead
of a local surety.
The
high court also directed that any new travel documents issued to Michel be deposited
directly with the trial court by the British High Commission. The FRRO was
instructed to ensure Michel does not leave India.
What is the
AgustaWestland case?
The AgustaWestland case involves
allegations of kickbacks in the 2010 deal to procure 12 VVIP helicopters from
the Italian firm, leading to an estimated loss of €398.21 million (around
?2,666 crore) to India. Michel is alleged to have received €30 million (about
?225 crore) as part of the deal. He is one of three foreign intermediaries
named, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
With the Supreme Court’s
decision, Michel remains in custody unless he complies with the revised bail
conditions.