New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday extended by another five days the CBI custody of British national Christian Michel, the middleman accused in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to quiz the middleman till December 15. The CBI had sought nine days custody of Michel.
Special Public Prosecutor D.P. Singh told the court that documents have been received from five countries pursuant to the Letter of Rogatory sent to these countries and there was incriminating material which the CBI needed to confront him with.
The prosecutor added that the agency needed to confront him with some witnesses to identify his accomplices including IAF officers, bureaucrats and politicians.
Michel was presented in the court after a five-day CBI custody. He was extradited to India on December 4 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Michel’s defence counsel Aljo K. Joseph and Vishnu Sankar opposed the CBI plea and said there was no incriminating material against the accused and that the Italian court had found nothing wrong against him.
The counsel also told the court that his lawyer in Italy, Santrolli Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos, wanted to meet him.
Michel’s counsel Anjos from Milan in Italy told IANS that the Indian court had said that she would be permitted to meet Michel once she is present in the court on the next date of hearing.
Anjos said that she would be visiting India in the coming days.
The CBI also filed an application seeking direction to Michel for giving his specimen signatures. This will be heard by the court on Tuesday.
British High Commission yet to get consular access to Michel
The British High Commission has not got the consular access to its national Chritian James Michel, who was extradited to Indian from the UAE on December 4 in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal case, a source said on Monday.
The British High Commission has not got the consular access of Michel yet, “but we are in close touch with the authorities and we know they are working on the request”, the source told IANS.
The remarks came soon after a Delhi Court on Monday again sent Michel to five days’ police custody till December 15. He was presented before the court after expiry of his five-day CBI custody.
On December 6, the CBI said that it has received the request from the British High Commission for consular access.
