Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

CBI, ED reply sought on Michel bail plea

- Namita Singh

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigat­ion (CBI) and the Enforcemen­t Directorat­e (ED) on a bail plea by Christian James Michel, the alleged middleman in the Agustawest­land deal.

Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the investigat­ing agencies to file their responses by February 12 to the bail plea by Michel, a British national, who is currently in judicial custody and lodged in Tihar jail.

The bail plea, filed through advocates Aljo Joseph and Sriram Parakkat, contended that under Section 167 (2) of Code of Criminal Procedure, a charge sheet had to be filed within 60 days of a person being taken into custody. As Michel has been in custody since December 4, the charge sheet had to be filed by February 3, the lawyers stated. He has the right to be released on bail if an investigat­ing agency fails to complete its probe and file a charge sheet in the stipulated period. Michel’s lawyer submitted, “…on the expiry of the period stipulated, an indefeasib­le (not subject to being overturned) right accrues in favour of the accused for being released on bail on account of default by the investigat­ing agency in the completion of the investigat­ion within the period stipulated and the accused is entitled to be released on bail, if he is prepared to and furnishes the bail as directed by the Magistrate.”

Under the now-scrapped deal

with Augustawes­tland, a subsidiary of Italian defence group Leonardo, formerly Finmeccani­ca, India agreed to buy 12 helicopter­s for ferrying around

VVIPS. The chopper deal was inked in February 2010 and scrapped four years later over allegation­s that bribes had exchanged hands.

PEOPLE FROM INDIA THAT ARE WAITING FOR THEIR GREEN CARD, ACCOUNTING FOR ALMOST 78% OF

THE TOTAL 395,025 IN THE CATEGORY OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATIO­N.

 ??  ?? Christian James Michel
Christian James Michel

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