Delhi High Court Reserves Ruling on Bail Modification for AgustaWestland Case

The Delhi High Court has reserved its decision on a petition filed by Christian James Michel, a British citizen, who is seeking modifications to the bail conditions related to the AgustaWestland helicopter deal money laundering case. His lawyer, Advocate Aljo K Joseph, argued that Michel cannot meet the Indian bail surety requirements due to a lack of local family ties.

The petition also seeks changes to the condition mandating the surrender of Michel's passport. The advocate pointed out that acquiring a new UK passport from abroad is a lengthy process and urged the court to consider modifying both bail conditions to facilitate Michel's release. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma heard the arguments and has reserved the order regarding this modification request.

Previously, Michel was granted bail on March 4, 2025, but was required to produce a Rs 5 lakh surety and surrender his passport. Arrested and extradited from Dubai in December 2018, Michel is alleged to be a middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam. The case involves a CBI and ED investigation into the 2010 deal for VVIP helicopters, with significant financial losses and corruption allegations.

(With inputs from agencies.)