Supreme Court Grants Bail To Christian Michel AgustaWestland Chopper Scam After 6 Years

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 18, granted bail to British arms consultant Christian James Michel in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper scam case, as per a report by Live Law.

Michel had been seeking relief after his bail plea was previously denied by the Delhi High Court. His Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenged the September 2024 ruling of the Delhi HC, which had refused to grant him bail.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta reviewed his plea and approved his release on bail, imposing a key condition that Michel must renew his passport and then surrender it as part of the legal process.

Who Is Christian Michel?

Christian Michel James, a British national, is the alleged middleman in the ₹3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. He was accused of helping AgustaWestland secure the 2010 contract for 12 AW101 helicopters by influencing Indian Air Force (IAF) officials and members of the then-UPA government.

Arrested in Dubai, he was extradited to India on December 4, 2018, where he faced multiple charges including fraud, criminal conspiracy, and dishonest inducement in property transactions. After the Delhi High Court denied him bail in September 2024, he moved the Supreme Court. Michel also alleged that the CBI pressured him to confess to meeting Sonia Gandhi during the deal negotiations, a claim the CBI has denied.

What is the AgustaWestland Chopper Scam?

The AgustaWestland chopper scam involves the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from the UK-based manufacturer, with allegations of corruption and financial irregularities. Michel was one of the alleged middlemen in the case.

According to the CBI, the 2010 deal, valued at €556.26 million, caused a €398.21 million (Rs. 2,666 crore) loss to the Indian exchequer. The ED’s 2016 chargesheet claims Michel received €30 million (Rs. 225 crore) from AgustaWestland, with Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa also named as the other two alleged middlemen. Despite previous bail rejections, including by the SC in 2023, the Delhi HC later sought responses from the CBI and ED on Michel's fresh bail pleas.