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The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Central government three weeks as a last opportunity to file its response on a plea filed by British citizen Christian Michel James, accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, challenging his continued detention in the case.
As Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought more time to file an affidavit in the case, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said it will give the last opportunity to file a response. "Time of three weeks granted and no more time to be granted to file counter affidavit. List (the case) on August 25," the bench ordered. Michel has sought his release from jail on the ground that he has already served the maximum sentence for the offences for which he was extradited. He submitted that he has undergone more than seven years of incarceration following his extradition from Dubai in 2018 in connection with the case. Michel has challenged Article 17 of the India-UAE Extradition Treaty, which permits prosecution for "connected offences", contending that under the Doctrine of Speciality provided under Section 21 of the Extradition Act, an accused cannot be convicted for any offence other than the one for which extradition was granted. He has contended that the application of the treaty has led to his continued detention even though he has already undergone the maximum sentence for the offences alleged in the extradition proceedings. According to Michel, the charge against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act carries a maximum punishment of five years, while he has remained in jail for a period exceeding the maximum sentence for the alleged offence. Michel has challenged the Delhi High Court's April 8 order rejecting his plea for release from jail and upholding the relevant provision of the India-UAE Extradition Treaty. Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, was extradited from Dubai in 2018 after India succeeded in securing his extradition. He was arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Rs 3,600-crore scam relating to the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland. The CBI has alleged that the deal, signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP helicopters worth Euro 556.262 million caused an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer. The Enforcement Directorate later filed a chargesheet against Michel in June 2016, alleging that he received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. (ANI)
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