The Supreme Court of India on Monday sought a response from the Centre on a petition filed by Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the ₹3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, seeking his release from jail. The court issued notice to the Union government and investigating agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and scheduled the matter for hearing in July.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the plea, which argues that Michel has already served the maximum period of incarceration applicable to the offences for which he was extradited to India. The court’s notice marks the latest development in the long-running legal proceedings linked to the high-profile defence deal case.
Michel, a British national, was extradited from Dubai in 2018 and has since been in custody in India. Through his counsel, advocate Aljo K Joseph, he submitted that he has spent over seven years in jail, exceeding the maximum sentence prescribed under the charges framed against him. The defence contended that the alleged offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act carries a maximum punishment of five years.
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The plea further highlights that continued detention beyond the maximum prescribed sentence raises questions of legality and proportionality. It seeks his release on the grounds that prolonged incarceration without conclusion of trial violates fundamental legal principles. The petitioner has urged the court to consider the duration already spent in custody while deciding on his release.
Earlier, Michel had approached the Delhi High Court with a similar request for relief. However, the high court dismissed his plea on April 8, prompting him to move the apex court. The matter has since been escalated for consideration at the highest judicial level.
The AgustaWestland case, which involves allegations of irregularities in the procurement of VVIP helicopters, has been under investigation by both the CBI and the ED for several years. The outcome of the current proceedings before the Supreme Court is expected to have significant implications for the case, particularly regarding the interpretation of custody limits and the rights of accused individuals awaiting trial.
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