AgustaWestland accused told to move HC for bail

The SC on Wednesday directed AgustaWestland helicopter case middleman Christian Michel, a 59-year-old British national, to approach Delhi High Court for interim bail amid Covid-19 pandemic.

The Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah gave the direction without expressing any views on the merits of the case.

Michel had first approached Delhi HC seeking interim bail. The matter was mentioned before the Registrar concerned of the High Court, but it was not taken up for hearing and Michel was directed to wait given a HCempowered Committee was scheduled to hold a meeting to identify prisoners who could be released to decongest the Tihar Jail.

Michel’s case was not one of those considered by the committee for grant of bail to decongest the jails in conformity with the Supreme Court’s order of March 23. This led Michel to approach the apex court seeking bail claiming he falls within the class of people more vulnerable to Coronavirus.

He is accused of having entered into as many as 12 contracts with AgustaWestland to legitimise the illicit commission/kickbacks amounting to 42.27 million euros received on the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters by the Government of India.

Michel has submitted in the plea he is critical and incompatible with the current prison status under the Covid-19 pandemic, expressing fear the infection could have a lethal effect on him is already suffering from serious pathologies. The bail plea points out an order passed by the SC on March 16, addressing the difficulty in practicing social distancing in overcrowded prisons. The plea claims the SC has stressed on the imminent need for adoption of preventive steps to avoid contagion of the aforesaid Covid-19 virus among the prisoners. It says Michel needs to live in an environment where the risk of contagion is lesser and social distancing can be practised.