VVIP chopper scam: Christian Michel's CBI custody extends by 4 days

A Delhi Special Court on Saturday extended the CBI custody of Christian Michel by another four days. 

This came afte the CBI on Saturday urged a Delhi court to grant it further custody of Christian Michel James, alleged middleman charge-sheeted and arrested in the graft-tainted AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, for five more days.

The 57-year-old British national was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar. The probe agency told the judge he needs to be confronted with various documents in the case.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4.

Michel is



one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

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

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