Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case, was extradited to India from UAE on Tuesday.
A day after Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case was extradited to India, Wednesday witnessed many developments - from a CBI court in Delhi to the poll-bound state of Rajasthan.
Christian Michel, a British businessman accused of receiving kickbacks for the chopper deal, was Wednesday sent to five-day CBI custody by a Delhi court, a day after he was extradited to India from the UAE.
The extradition of 57-year-old Michel sparked a political slugfest between the BJP and the Congress with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the "secret-keeper will now reveal things the family (Gandhi family) is afraid of."
British high commission steps in
The British high commission has also stepped in as Michel, a citizen of the United Kingsom, was extradited from a third country, UAE.
"Our staff continue to support family of a British man following his detention in UAE. We're in contact with his family and Emirati authorities regarding his case & are urgently seeking info from Indian authorities on his circumstances,” the British High Commission spokesperson said.
Government sources have said that India is willing to provide consular access to UK High Commission and due process will be followed.
India had sent extradition request last year to UAE and after a lengthy legal battle in UAE's courts, he was extradited to India on Tuesday.
PM Modi attacks Congress
Addressing a rally in poll-bound Rajasthan's Dausa, PM Modi said, "We've caught a 'raazdaar' of chopper scam and brought him here. The entire family (Gandhi family) is now scared of the things which will be revealed. They are scared as to whose name will he take if he opens his mouth."
At another rally in Pali district's Sumerpur, the Prime Minister said, "Helicopter kaand ke raazdar aur dalal ko sarkar Dubai se pakad ke layi hai. Ab raazdar raaz kholega, pata nahi baat kahan tak jayegi, kitni duur tak jayegi (Govt has got the man who has secrets of AgustaWestland chopper scam. If he opens his mouth, he can say a lot and this might go very far)."
The extradition of Michel is being considered a shot in the arm for Modi Govt just before the elections in states like Rajasthan and Telangana and general elections of 2019.
Meanwhile, in Delhi's Patiala house court, a CBI Special Court sent Michel to a 5-day CBI custody and has allowed his counsel one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening for consultancy. Michel has also sought bail which the court will hear in next hearing on December 10.
What is AgustaWestland scam
The deal to acquire 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers from Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland was initialled in 2010 but was scrapped on January 1, 2014 over the alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks by it for securing the deal.
While seeking custodial remand of Michel, the CBI prosecutor on Wednesday contended that "an amount of 42.27 million Euro(Rs 283 crore at the then prevailing exchange rate) was paid by the Westland Group companies to the firms of accused Christian Michel James as kickbacks/ bribe without undertaking any work against the receipt of such amount."
Then Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi is also one of the accused in the case as the CBI has alleged that he played a role in recommending the reduction in operational ceiling of the helicopters from 6000 m to 4500 m which brought AgustaWestland in the race.
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