Christian Michel James gets bail in AgustaWestland chopper scam case-OxBig News Network

Christian Michel, a key accused and alleged middleman in Agusta Westland chopper scam, is pictured inside a police vehicle outside a court in New Delhi on December 5, 2018.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) granted bail to Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, saying “the trial may not be completed in the next 25 years at this pace”.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused the Centre’s request to adjourn the case to Friday.

Advocates Aljo Joseph, Sriram Parakkat and MS Vishnu Shankar, for Michel, said their client has been in custody as an undertrial for six years since his arrest in December 2018.

Mr. Joseph said the period spent by Michel in jail as an undertrial matched the sentence he would have served had he been found guilty.

Michel was charged with offences like cheating, dishonestly inducing delivery of property, criminal conspiracy and corruption. He was also alleged to have committed the offence of forging valuable security.

Michel was arrested and extradited on December 4, 2018. The FIR itself dates back to 2013 and the investigation has continued for nine years. The incidents of the alleged scam relates to 2004.

The ₹3,600-crore alleged scam relates to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland.

Michel was said to be a resident of the United Kingdom and was extradited from Dubai.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about ₹2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about ₹225 crore) from AgustaWestland.