The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the CBI on the bail plea of Christian Michel James, an accused in the Augusta Westland VVIP helicopter scam case. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale gave the Central Investigation Agency four weeks to submit its reply.
Michelle James, one of the alleged middlemen in the deal to buy 12 VVIP helicopters, was extradited from the UAE in 2018 to face trial in the case. He approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court denied him bail on September 25 this year.
According to the CBI investigation, a contract for supply of 12 VVIP/Non-VVIP helicopters was awarded to M/s AgustaWestland International Limited, UK for Euro 556.262 million (₹3,726.96 crore) and an agreement was entered into in this regard. Executed on February 8, 2010 between Ministry of Defense and M/s AgustaWestland International Ltd. It is alleged that between 2005 and 2007, former Air Force chief SP Tyagi gave permission to reduce the height of VVIP helicopters from 6,000 meters to 4,500 meters. This allowed M/s Augusta Westland International Limited to enter the fray after being disqualified in 2002.
The CBI said that Michel James was a consultant to M/s AgustaWestland and acted as an intermediary negotiating on behalf of the firm. During the talks, he received important confidential information from his sources about the progress of the VVIP helicopter procurement process and passed the information on to M/s AgustaWestland, the agency said. According to CBI, contract for purchase of VVIP helicopter was awarded to M/s Augusta Westland in favor of Sanjeev Tyagi @ Julie Tyagi, Gautam Khaitan etc. through middlemen/relatives including illegal gratification. By corrupt and illegal means and by using personal influence on the concerned public servants.
The agency claimed that Michelle James was “paid a huge bribe by M/s AgustaWestland, which was paid to Indian Air Force, MoD, officers, bureaucrats, politicians and families of India to show favor in the VVIP helicopter deal”.