AgustaWestland: Court reserves order on Christian Michel’s plea seeking release in CBI case

A Delhi court on Monday (December 22, 2025) reserved its order on a plea filed by Christian James Michel who sought release from judicial custody in a CBI case related to AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

The release was sought on the grounds that he had already undergone the maximum period of sentence of seven years for the charges against him.

Special CBI judge Sanjay Jindal of Rouse Avenue Court reserved the order which will probably be delivered on Tuesday, December 23.

He was released from custody in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the alleged scam, last week.

Michel, accused of being a ‘middleman’ in the defence deal, was extradited from Dubai in December 2018, following which the CBI arrested him and filed a chargesheet.

As per CBI’s case, public exchequer face an estimated loss of ₹2,666 crore due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. 

The AgustaWestland case centres on alleged irregularities and kickbacks paid to former Defence Ministry officials to secure a contract for 12 VVIP helicopters from the British-Italian firm.