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This is an archive article published on February 24, 2025

‘Why opposing bail plea of Christian Michel James now?’: Delhi HC asks ED about ‘middleman’ in AgustaWestland case

Citing delay in the trial, the Supreme Court last week granted bail to Christian Michel James in the corruption case registered by the CBI in the multi-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

agustawestland scam caseIn September last year, the Delhi High Court had orally remarked that there were “insufficient” reasons to refuse him bail. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate why it was opposing the bail plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, in a case registered by the central agency.

The query from Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma came after James told the court that the Supreme Court passed an order granting him bail in the predicate offence lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Last week, the apex court granted him bail in the CBI case on grounds of delay in trial.

As the ED requested that the matter be taken up later in the day for its panel counsel to appear before the court, Justice Sharma remarked orally, “Why are you opposing this now?”

The court then posted the matter for consideration on Tuesday.

James, one of the alleged middlemen in the deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2018 to stand trial in the case. He moved the Supreme Court in the CBI case after the Delhi High Court denied him bail on September 25, 2024.

The CBI said James was a consultant for AgustaWestland and acted as a middleman negotiating on behalf of the firm. According to the agency, undue favour was given to AgustaWestland for awarding the contract for procurement of VVIP helicopters in its favour by accepting illegal gratification from it through middlemen.

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The CBI claimed that James “had been paid a huge bribe amount by M/s AgustaWestland, which was paid to the officers of the Indian Air Force, MOD (Ministry of Defence), bureaucrats, politicians and family in India for showing favour in the VVIP helicopter deal”.

The ED also booked him on money laundering charges with a complaint lodged against him on July 3, 2014. James was booked under Sections 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He has already been in jail for over six years since December 2018, and the maximum punishment possible in the ED complaint in case of a conviction, is seven years. The ED filed its chargesheet in June 2016, alleging that James received 30 million euros (approximately Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

In September last year, the Delhi High Court had orally remarked that there were “insufficient” reasons to refuse him bail.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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