ET BureauThe Delhi High Court has refused bail to Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper scandal, terming him a flight risk as he has "no roots in Indian society".
The HC also refused to rely on an "unverified" letter from E Bossley, UK's consul to India, dated February 7, which Michel had produced in his favour to allay apprehensions that if granted bail he may be issued travel documents to flee the country.
The HC said the letter is of "no persuasive value" and reliance on it is "unmerited".
Michel has been behind bars since December 2018 after he was extradited from Dubai in a case relating to the AugustaWestland chopper deal.
The HC also threw out Michel's claim that he had been acquitted by an Italian Court in 2014. Finding "no merit" in his claim, the HC ruled that although Michel's name "appears in the statement of reasons and the order, he was not a party before the Italian court".
Michel had previously alleged illegal custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation and placed a finding recorded in his favour by the UNHRC Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNHRC WGAD).
The HC, rejecting the findings, held that "even though the UNHRC WGAD opinion relates to the present applicant, it was predominantly based on allegations and limited information received from an unidentified source".
The HC also refused to rely on an "unverified" letter from E Bossley, UK's consul to India, dated February 7, which Michel had produced in his favour to allay apprehensions that if granted bail he may be issued travel documents to flee the country.
The HC said the letter is of "no persuasive value" and reliance on it is "unmerited".
Michel has been behind bars since December 2018 after he was extradited from Dubai in a case relating to the AugustaWestland chopper deal.
The HC also threw out Michel's claim that he had been acquitted by an Italian Court in 2014. Finding "no merit" in his claim, the HC ruled that although Michel's name "appears in the statement of reasons and the order, he was not a party before the Italian court".
Michel had previously alleged illegal custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation and placed a finding recorded in his favour by the UNHRC Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNHRC WGAD).
The HC, rejecting the findings, held that "even though the UNHRC WGAD opinion relates to the present applicant, it was predominantly based on allegations and limited information received from an unidentified source".
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