AgustaWestland ‘rip-off’: Supreme Court docket grants bail to Christian Michel James

Advocates Aljo Ok. Joseph and Vishnu Shankar, representing James, referred to his six-year-long incarceration.

The highest court docket on 6 December 2024 had sought the CBI’s response on his plea and issued discover to the company.

The alleged rip-off pertains to the irregularities following the acquisition of 12 VVIP helicopters from chopper design and manufacturing firm AgustaWestland.

James moved the apex court docket difficult the Delhi Excessive Court docket’s 25 September 2024 order refusing him bail within the case.

British nationwide James was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and arrested subsequently.

The excessive court docket earlier dismissed his bail software, observing there was no important change in circumstances from the time when his earlier bail pleas have been rejected.

He’s one amongst three alleged middlemen within the case. Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the opposite two.

The CBI chargesheet alleged an estimated lack of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer as a result of deal signed on 8 February 2010 for the provision of VVIP choppers price 556.262 million euros.

The Enforcement Directorate, in its chargesheet filed in opposition to James in June 2016 in a associated money-laundering case, alleged he acquired 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

On 7 February 2023, the highest court docket denied bail to James whereas rejecting his submission that he had accomplished half of the utmost sentence within the instances.

Beforehand, the excessive court docket had dismissed his bail purposes in each the CBI and ED instances in March 2022.