AgustaWestland: Not safe for me to leave Delhi, Christian Michel tells court

New Delhi: Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, on Wednesday informed a Delhi court that it was not safe for him to leave the capital.

Special judge Sanjay Jindal was hearing his plea for release on the grounds that he had undergone the maximum period of sentence of seven years for the purported offences.

"If I put one step out in Delhi, new charges will be placed on me. It is not safe. I do not want to come back to this court with new charges," James said.

James, who was granted bail in the CBI case by the Supreme Court on February 18 this year and in the ED case by the Delhi High Court on March 4, has not yet furnished the bail bonds and remains in Tihar jail, awaiting the renewal of his passport.

On March 7, he offered another court to "finish his sentence" and leave India instead of walking out on bail due to "security risk." Continuing his submissions before the court, James said, "The court did nothing about the man who attempted to kill me." Making an emotional plea, James said he was being treated like a convict.

"I am at a loss. Three years ago, I was a different man. I am not a human being anymore. My wife had not divorced me then, and my business was also surviving," he said.

James continued, "Other people are allowed to attend the trial on the internet (through video-conferencing), why not me?" The court asked him the difference between bail and release.

"Bail will also be an interim release. Trial will continue," the court said.

James' counsel said that his client could not stay in a hotel or rented accommodation as he did not have an identity card.

"The British High Commission should take charge of him. They should provide temporary accommodation," the counsel said.

The court posted the matter for September 10.

On Tuesday, the ED filed a reply stating, "With respect to the submissions made by the accused Christian Michel James that he has already undergone the period of maximum sentence prescribed for the offences for which he was extradited to India from United Arab Emirates, so, he is entitled to be released by virtue of the provisions of section 436 A of CrPC it is most respectfully submitted that the aforesaid submissions are misleading and devoid of any merits." Section 436 A of the erstwhile CrPC deals with maximum period for which an under trial prisoner can be detained.

On August 4, the ED and CBI opposed the plea of Michel's counsel that he was entitled to be released under the provisions of Section 436A of the CrPC.

James was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and was subsequently arrested by the CBI and the ED.

The CBI, in its chargesheet, claimed an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

The ED chargesheet led against James in June 2016 alleged that he received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.