The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case accused Christian Michel James’s plea challenging the conditions imposed by the Delhi High Court while granting him bail in the money laundering case linked to the scam.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar declined to do away with the condition requiring him to furnish a local address. The bench said, “If you have to stay in this country, you must make some arrangements. Somebody must be giving you instructions. If you have permanent address in Tihar, then stay there only.”
On Michel’s submission that his passport had expired and renewing it would take some time, the high court had asked the British High Commission or the concerned authority issuing his passport to hand over the same to the trial court and not to the accused.
Michel challenged this too before the Supreme Court, and the same was rejected.
On March 4, the high court had granted him bail on the condition that he furnish a personal bond and surety of Rs 5 lakh each, on surrendering the passport before the trial court.
Michel then moved the high court seeking modification of the two bail conditions, submitting that he has no relatives or friends in India who can stand surety for him and that his passport had expired and hence depositing it would not be possible.
Accepting his request on the aspect of surety, the high court modified the bail condition on May 22 and directed that “instead of the requirement to furnish a personal bond and surety bond of Rs 5 lakh each – the applicant shall now furnish a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh along with a cash surety in the enhanced sum of Rs 10 lakh”.
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The Enforcement Directorate has alleged in its chargesheet that James received 30 million euros from AgustaWestland to facilitate the deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers for the Indian Air Force. He was booked on money laundering charges after a complaint was lodged against him on July 3, 2014.