Christian Michel, the British arms dealer accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter corruption case, suffered a major blow as Delhi High Court rejected his release petition on Wednesday. He sought freedom claiming completion of maximum punishment for initial extradition charges from UAE.
However, authorities countered with a supplementary chargesheet introducing forgery charges, punishable by life term. The court upheld the validity of Article 17 in the India-UAE treaty, permitting trials for connected crimes like cheating, criminal conspiracy, and bribery under anti-corruption laws.
Earlier on March 17, the HC had reserved its verdict after heated arguments. Michel’s counsel highlighted over five years imprisonment but failed to sway the bench amid strong opposition from probe agencies.
Backstory: The 2013 scandal implicated politicians and officials in a Rs 3,600 crore deal for 12 AW101 choppers, canceled amid bribery revelations. Michel’s extradition followed years of legal battles.
With trial pending and potential life sentence looming, this ruling signals prolonged legal battles, reinforcing judicial resolve in mega scams shaking national security procurement.
