AgustaWestland case: CBI opposes Christian Michel's bail plea

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday opposed the bail plea of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

During the hearing in Delhi’s Patiala House Court, Michel’s counsel Aljo K Joseph claimed that his client was cooperating in the investigation, and hence, is liable to be granted bail.

“He (Michel) has become weak since he was also in custody in Dubai for five months on CBI’s request. We are ready for any condition of bail. You have already granted bail to other accused. CBI had questioned him five times in Dubai and for 15 days in Delhi. He is suffering from Dyslexia, and he has been asked to write in cursive writing,” Joseph



argued.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Court has sought a reply from the CBI on a plea filed by former Air Force Chief SP Tyagi, another accused in the case, seeking permission to go abroad. The CBI will file a reply on December 22.

The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, finalised during former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure, was mired in allegations of kickbacks.

Earlier this week, the Patiala House Court had issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with regard to an anticipatory bail plea filed by the counsel of Rajeev Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman and an accused in the Rs 3600 crore scam, and fixed the next hearing in the case for December 24.