VVIP chopper scam: CBI gets five-day custody of AgustaWestland 'middleman' Christian Michel

A Delhi court on Wednesday gave the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) five-day custody of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal scam. The agency, according to reports, had sought 14-day custody of the British businessman.

#NewsAlert | Delhi Court gives CBI five-day custody of Christian Michel. | @Nitisha_Kashyap with more details | #MichelExtradited pic.twitter.com/iAsSfr76vw

— News18 (@CNNnews18) December 5, 2018

Michel, the alleged middleman in the politically-sensitive Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal, was extradited to India late Tuesday night by the UAE, the CBI said. On Tuesday, the CBI said Michel “was being extradited to India in an operation under the guidance of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval”.

Interim CBI director M Nageswar Rao coordinated the operation with a team of the agency’s officers led by joint director Sai Manohar, who was in Dubai to bring Michel back, the CBI added. The Dubai government on Tuesday passed an order allowing the extradition of the 57-year-old to India after a court turned down his appeal against the move. “Michel’s involvement in the chopper deal allegedly surfaced in 2012 as the middlemen for swinging the deal in favour of AgustaWestland and making illegal payment of commission/kickbacks to Indian authorities,” CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal had said. The ruling BJP had said the extradition in the AgustaWestland case from the UPA regime was a diplomatic victory for India and could spell “serious trouble” for the Congress’ “first family”, referring to Gandhis. The investigative agency filed a chargesheet against him in September 2017. With inputs from PTI