AgustaWestland: SC seeks CBI’s reply on middleman’s bail plea
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the CBI to respond to a bail plea filed by Christian Michel James — an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland helicopter scam — in four weeks.
A Bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath, issued a notice to the probe agency on his petition challenging the Delhi High Court’s September 25 order, which refused him bail in the case. The trial court had also denied him bail.
Michel was extradited from Dubai and arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22, 2018. He has been in judicial custody since January 5, 2019.
Earlier, the Supreme Court rejected Michel’s bail plea on February 7 last year. He had challenged the Delhi High Court order dated March 11, 2022, in which the court had refused him bail in both the CBI and ED cases.