This is an archive article published on February 25, 2025
ED opposes AgustaWestland ‘middleman’ Christian Michel James’s bail plea, says he’s a flight risk
His counsel says in the Delhi HC that Christian Michel James’s passport has already expired. He has got bail in the CBI case related to the AgustaWestland chopper scam.
Opposing a bail plea filed by Christian Michel James, alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, the Enforcement Directorate submitted in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that he was a flight risk, citing his British citizenship.
James, however, said in the court of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that his passport had expired.
Zoheb Hossain, special counsel for the ED, said James wasgranted bail by the Supreme Court only in the predicate case of theCBI and not in the money-laundering case, adding that being a British citizen, he could “run away” and that he was a flight risk.
Advocate Alio Joseph, representing James, countered the argument saying James’ passport had anyway expired and that he would have to apply for a renewal, which may take some time. “I don’t have a passport, I will have to take permission to continue here (staying in India)…After completing the maximum sentence, if I run away or stay, what does it matter? It has been six years and two months (of incarceration) here and four months in Dubai…I’m entitled to remission. ED’s argument does not hold any water,” he said.
James has been in jail since December 2018, and the maximum punishment possible in the ED complaint is seven years. The ED filed its chargesheet in June 2016 alleging that James received 30 million Euros (approximately Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
Justice Sharma remarked that the court would prefer to see the conditions imposed by the trial court for the bail granted by the Supreme Court first. “Let them (trial court) write the conditions..I want to see what conditions they are imposing.”
The court will continue hearing the matter further on Friday.
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James, one of the alleged middlemen in the deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers, was extradited from the 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 then said James was a consultant for AgustaWestland and acted as a middleman on behalf of the firm. According to the CBI, undue favour was given to AgustaWestland in awarding the VVIP helicopter contract by accepting illegal gratification from it through middlemen.
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 booked James on money-laundering charges with a complaint lodged against him on July 3, 2014. He was booked under sections 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13(2), read with section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
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The Supreme Court last week granted James bail in the CBI case on grounds of the delay in the trial.
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.
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