Christian Michel was on Wednesday sent to five-day CBI custody by a Delhi court, a day after he was extradited to India from the UAE.
The Indian Youth Congress on Wednesday expelled its leader and lawyer Aljo K Joseph from the party after he appeared for Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the graft-tainted Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal during the UPA rule.
British businessman Michel was Wednesday sent to five-day CBI custody by a Delhi court, a day after he was extradited to India from the UAE.
While Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh appeared for the CBI in the special court, the agency's plea for custody was opposed by Michel's counsel Joseph and Vishnu Shankaran who said they have not yet received any documents from the agency and that the accused may be remanded to judicial custody.
He had also met Congress general secretary Deepak Babaria at the party headquarters in the national capital, soon after Michel was sent to CBI custody.
Suresh Nakhua, a spokesperson of the Mumbai BJP unit, had first claimed that Michel's lawyer Joseph was a Youth Congress functionary, evoking sharp reactions from various quarters.
Following criticism, the Congress expelled Joseph from the party.
"Aljo K Joseph appeared in his personal capacity. He did not consult the Youth Congress before appearing in the case. IYC does NOT endorse such actions. IYC has removed Aljo Joseph from IYC's Legal Department and expelled him from the party with immediate effect," the IYC said in a statement.
Joseph said he represented Michel in his "professional capacity" which has nothing to do with the Congress.
"I am an actively practising advocate. I appeared for him (Michel) in my professional capacity. If somebody asks me to appear on behalf of a client...I've only discharged my duty as a lawyer. It has nothing to do with the Congress," Joseph told ANI.
"My relation with the Congress is separate. My profession is separate. One of my friends, who was having some Dubai connection, through him the lawyer in Italy had requested me to help him. So, I was just helping in appearing and assisting him in this matter," Joseph said while admitting that he is the national in-charge for Indian Youth Congress' legal wing.
(With agencies)
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 "Aljo K Joseph, lawyer of Christian Michel (Photo: ANI)")
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