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Delhi HC reserves order on AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel James’s plea to modify bail conditions

Christian Michel James, who was extradited from the UAE in 2018 in the AgustaWestland chopper scam case, also virtually joined the proceedings at the Delhi High Court from jail.

Christian Michel James, AgustaWestland chopper scam, augusta westland,Michel's counsel, Aljo Joseph, told the court that since his client was a foreign national, no individual from India would come forward to stand as a surety for him (Express file photo)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea made by Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scam case, to modify his bail conditions such as depositing Rs 5 lakh as surety and surrendering his passport.

James, who was extradited from the UAE in 2018, also virtually joined the proceedings at the court of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma from jail.

Michel’s counsel, Aljo Joseph, told the court that since his client was a foreign national, no individual from India would come forward to stand as a surety for him and that he had no friends or family in India. “It is next to impossible to get an Indian surety. Nobody will furnish surety for him. This condition he cannot fulfil at all,” Joseph said.

“I have applied for the passport. A UK citizen who is applying for a passport from any foreign country will take a minimum of 8-12 weeks. I cannot submit the passport as on date,” he added.

Meanwhile, James said in the court that he was “10 weeks away from completing my sentence”.

The Enforcement Directorate, however, said the bail conditions were “fair and reasonable”.

James was granted bail in March by Justice Sharma in the ED case against him, noting that the case “presents an exceptional situation” where James had been in custody for over six years but the trial had “not even commenced due to the incomplete investigation”.

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Justice Sharma took into consideration the fact that investigation had not been concluded, charges had not been framed, trial had not begun, and that James had already been granted bail in the related CBI case by the Supreme Court.

On February 18, while granting bail to James in the 2013 CBI case, the Supreme Court also pointed to the delay in trial.

In its chargesheet, the ED has alleged that James received 30 million euros (approximately Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland to facilitate the deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers for the Indian Air Force. He was booked on money laundering charges after a complaint was lodged against him on July 3, 2014.

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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