Agustawestland VVIP Chopper Deal Case: Delhi Court denies the plea of Christian Michel for release

A Delhi court refused to release Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the controversial Agustawestland VVIP Chopper agreement, and ruled that he had not yet imposed the maximum sentence for the charges that were against him. British National Christian Michel James, suspected middleman in the case of the money laundering of Agustawestland, at Rouse Avenue Court for a hearing on his case, in New -Delhi, Friday, March 7, 2025. The ruling that he had not yet served the maximum sentence for the charges against him. Special Judge Sanjay Jindal rejected Michel’s application for release for release in terms of section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC). The court said that since Michel faces serious charges under section 467 of the Indian Criminal Act (IPC) – which bears the possibility of life imprisonment – he cannot claim to have completed the maximum period of custody on his case. What was Michel’s argument for release? Michel, who was exposed from Dubai in December 2018, argued that he had been in judicial detention for almost seven years – a period he claimed was sufficient under Article 436A CRPC, which allowed subject to ask for release if they served more than half the maximum sentence for their alleged meetings. However, the court ruled that this provision did not apply to him, given the nature and seriousness of the allegations. The judge added that the question of whether the forgery charge stands in terms of section 467 IPC against Michel will be decided on the charge phase-and that it cannot be rejected at this point. Weighed higher courts? Yes. The court also noted that Michel’s plea for release has already been revised and rejected by the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. His argument for relief in terms of section 436A CRPC was previously dismissed ‘categories’, referring to the inclusion of non-available offenses that attract longer imprisonment, including charges under the Corruption Prevention Act. Is Michel still in prison despite bail? Interestingly, Michel remains in the Tihar jail, although he found bail in both the CBI and Directorate (ED) cases earlier this year. The Supreme Court granted him bail in the CBI case in February 2025, followed by bail in the ED case of the Delhi High Court, just two weeks later. According to reports, he has not yet set up bail relations, allegedly due to passport -related formalities that remain unresolved. What are the charges against him? The CBI claims that Michel acted as an important intermediary in the Agustawestland VVIP helicopter agreement in 2010, which led to a loss of approximately € 398.21 million (about £ 2.666 crore) to the Indian treasury. Separately, the ED’s charges, submitted in June 2016, claimed that Michel received € 30 million (about £ 225 crore) as setbacks from the agreement – money allegedly led by a complex network of companies.