Why accused with multiple disciplinary complaints lodged with Christian Michel, Delhi Court asks police

British national Christian Michel James, alleged intermediaries in the case of agustawestland money laundering. Archive. | Photo credit: PTI

New Delhi

A Court of Delhi on Wednesday took the authorities of the Tihar prison to stay to a defendant, with multiple disciplinary complaints, in the same prison as Christian Michel James, one of the alleged intermediaries in the Chopper Vvip scam of Agustavestland.

The Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal of Rouse Avenue Court has requested a detailed status report from the prison authorities before April 29. The court also ordered the Superintendent or the Tihar prison to appear in person for the next hearings.

The court was responding to a request submitted by James, in which he requested to provide adequate security measures in the barracks. Hello, he claimed that tea was being poisoned and faced threats of life.

In a preliminary report, the prison authorities informed the court that James is in the same barracks with a lower prisoner, Shanawaz, who has 41 complaints against him for conduct in jail.

Meanwhile, the court has also ordered the prison superintendent to provide James with a table fan, and pointed out that the application had not been fulfilled despite what was allowed in its previous order.

Michel, a British citizen, was extradited from Dubai on December 4, 2018, after spending four months in custody there. He has been housed in Tihar prison since then.

He is in the three alleged intermediaries that are investigated in the case of Agustaland helicopter fraud. The other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The agreement was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP helicopters worth 556,262 million euros. The CBI, on its load sheet, claimed an estimated loss or 398.21 million euros (approximately ₹ 2,66 million rupees) to the Indian Treasury due to the agreement.

On a separate load sheet in June 2016, the configuration address alleged that James received 30 million euros (approximately ₹ 225 million rupees) from Agustavestland.