Secrets...

“I can’t answer. The Congress has made its position very clear. The Prime Minister should explain why he gave ₹30,000 crore to Anil Ambani,” he told reporters in Hyderabad when asked about Michel’s extradition, referring to allegations he has previously made about the Rafale deal and an offset arrangement involving a joint venture between an Ambani company and Rafale-maker Dassault.

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Modi’s allegations were part of a “smear campaign”. “While the BJP and PM Modi are seeking fake credit without being subjected to investigation by the CBI for their own complicity and connivance, they are latching on to Christian Michel for committing a smear campaign against opposition leaders. The truth about Christian Michel is already out in the open,” he said in a statement, while alleging that Michel was being put under pressure to implicate the UPA chairperson. Michel was brought to New Delhi on a special flight and taken to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters. He was produced before special CBI judge Arvind Kumar on Wednesday afternoon.

The British high commission in New Delhi said it was “urgently seeking information from Indian authorities on Michel’s circumstances” and UK authorities were in contact with Michel’s family and the Emirati authorities regarding the case.

Michel’s advocate asked the court in Delhi to send him to judicial custody but the CBI sought 14 days’ custodial interrogation to confront him with evidence and follow the money trail in the scam. Appearing for CBI, its special public prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh said the investigation found that Michel had entered into as many as 12 contracts through two of his firms with Finmeccanica and Augustawestland, Westland Helicopters, UK to “legitimise” the illicit commission he was paid.

The amount, EUR42.27 million, was paid by Westland Group Companies to Michel’s firms without any work, Singh told the court. Michel’s custody,