Delhi High Court Grants Bail to Christian Michel James in VVIP Chopper Case
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Synopsis
The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, after more than six years of detention. The court noted delays in the trial process and previous bail grants in related cases.
Key Takeaways
- The Delhi High Court granted bail to Christian Michel James.
- James has been incarcerated for over six years.
- Trial proceedings have not yet started.
- Conditions for bail include a personal bond and surrendering his passport.
- James must cooperate with ongoing investigations.
New Delhi, March 4 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Christian Michel James, an accused middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter scam, who was charged under the anti-money laundering law. A bench led by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma allowed the bail plea after noting his lengthy incarceration of over six years and the significant delay in starting the trial.
"Given the lengthy duration of incarceration—approximately six years and two months—and the apparent lack of progress in the trial, which has yet to commence, this court is inclined to grant regular bail to the applicant," the bench stated.
The court acknowledged that James had previously been granted bail in a corruption case related to the underlying offence by the apex court, citing incomplete investigations and the absence of trial initiation.
According to the bail conditions, Michel James must provide a personal bond and surety of Rs. 5,00,000 each and surrender his passport to the trial court, which may not be returned without permission from the Delhi High Court.
Additional conditions will be set by the special court. The Directorate of Enforcement retains the right to request stricter conditions for bail based on James's prior conduct and his extradition to India, as noted by the Justice Sharma-led bench.
The Delhi High Court emphasized that James is expected to fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations and future trial proceedings.
James is implicated in the alleged Rs 3,600-crore scam concerning the acquisition of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland. He argued for bail based on the delay in trial proceedings, having already spent six years in detention while facing a maximum sentence of seven years under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Originally extradited to India on December 5, 2018, from the UAE, James was arrested upon arrival by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and subsequently by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He has remained in judicial custody at Tihar Jail since then.
James's bail petitions have been previously denied by various courts.
On January 1, 2014, India terminated its contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary, AgustaWestland, for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters to the IAF, citing breach of contract and bribery allegations amounting to Rs 423 crore. In 2020, the CBI filed a supplementary charge sheet against 15 individuals, including James and approver Rajiv Saxena, regarding the alleged corruption in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, following a charge sheet filed earlier on September 1, 2017, against then-IAF chief S.P. Tyagi and 11 others.
